


The View From Here

by DramaticGarbage



Series: The View From Here [1]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Food mention, Human AU, M/M, Prinxiety - Freeform, drinking/alcohol mention, height au, logicality - Freeform, tolsmolau
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2019-05-14
Packaged: 2019-09-20 19:14:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 85,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17028414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DramaticGarbage/pseuds/DramaticGarbage
Summary: Look how height that guy is. Very very height. (This is basically a long running fluffy sitcom, there isn't a heck of a lot of plot and it's just fluff to the max)





	1. Prologue

Roman hated situations like this, everyone thought he was this tiny cute thing. But he was manly man! A man who is manly! He was leaning up against a bar table in this crowded bar, some drunk jerk cornering him like he owned him. The worst part was how often this happened. He was... _Moderately_ nervous, if he was being entirely honest with himself. This guy infront of him was huge and kinda drunk, but Roman knew that even though he was small, he could handle himself for the most part. ...Unless he was picked up of course, there was only so much you could do when you were in the air.

“Hey.. I’m really flattered you know.. But I.. Have a boyfriend.” Roman stuttered out. This guy was really close to him and he really didn’t have much of an escape.

“Oh yeah? Well if thats truuue… Where is this guuy? And what kind of a booyfriend you got that would leave such a cute lil morsel like you allllll aloooooone? Sounds to me like you’d be better off with a guy like me anywaaay…” The large man slurred, stepping even closer to Roman.

“I.. uhh… Well… He…” Roman struggled to come up with something, anything to get this guy to leave him alone.

“Hey. Didn’t you hear him? He’s waiting for his boyfriend. Leave him alone. Now.” A low and graveling voice spoke from behind the drunk man.

“Oh yeah? Whoooo’s gonna stop me if I doooon’t?” He slurred, spinning around to see who dared say something. He was confused for a moment, he definitely thought he would see a head when he turned, but he was looking a chest. It took him a moment to understand the situation before him and look up, his face turning ghostly white as he did so.

The man before him was wearing almost all black, including a cool leather jacket with spikes on the shoulders over a hoodie. The hood was up, casting his face slightly in shadow. He also wore dark makeup and had a look in his eyes that could only be described as murder. In one of his giant hands he casually held two full glasses, and the other grabbed the drunk man by the collar and dragged him up slightly, closer to his eye level.

“Me. Now if you know what’s good for you, you will leave this place and never pull a stunt like that again. And if I ever catch you even _LOOKING_ at my boyfriend again, there will be _HELL TO PAY_. Got it?” He spoke quietly, but there was an anger in his voice that terrified both the drunk man and Roman. He release the man’s shirt and stepped around him, gently taking Roman’s hand and sitting down with him at the table. He passed one of the drinks to Roman and casually placed a long arm around his shoulders.

The drunk man, still terrified out of his mind ran off toward the front door. Roman was concerned, he wasn’t sure if this Tim Burton-esque giant was his savior or an entirely new set of problems. They sat quietly a moment before his rescuer, hopefully, whispered to him.

“Is that guy gone?”

“Yeah, you scared him straight out of the bar.”

“Oh thank god. I can’t believe that shit worked. Holy crap, I thought I was gonna have a heart attack.” He dropped his arm from Roman’s shoulders and placed a hand on his own chest like he was trying to calm his heart from the outside. Roman raised an eyebrow and pressed two fingers to the man’s wrist, feeling his heart rate spiraling out of control.

“That was an act? Man, you had me believing the whole thing and i’m an actual actor!” Roman laughed.

“Oh yeah. Definitely an act. I’m harmless and probably made of glass.” He laughed nervously, grabbing one of the drinks and gesturing to himself. He wore multiple layers, but Roman could tell from his thin face and his tight skinny jeans that he was a beanpole of a person. “Oh that’s uh.. I don’t actually know what. I just asked the bartender to make another of whatever you were already drinking.” He pointed to the cup he had pushed in front of Roman.

“Oh! Well thanks, you didn’t have to do that.” Roman smiled and picked up the cup.

“I wasn’t sure how far that interaction was gonna go, but one of the potential outcomes might have been you drinking out of the drink I brought you, incase he hung around or something.” He shrugged and then suddenly blushed. “Oh! Uh.. I can uh.. I can go now. I just wanted you to uh.. not be trapped anymore. But.. You aren’t. So…” He began to awkwardly begin getting up to leave but Roman reached out and grabbed his hand.

“You don’t have to! I mean… I wouldn’t mind at least having a drink with my rescuer. You did buy it for me, after all. My name is Roman.” He smiled, encouraging the taller man to sit back down.

“I’m uh.. I’m Virgil.” He shrugged, rejoining him at the table.

“It’s great to meet you, Virgil. I really appreciate what you did back there. That guy was not leaving me alone… It happens more than I’d like to admit...” Roman finished with a sigh.

“Sounds like you could use a bodyguard.” Virgil commented offhand, before blushing as he realized what he could be implying.

“Yeah? Maybe a scary emo one? A… ridiculously tall one?” Roman laughed. “You probably get this question a thousand times a day, unless you are too intimidating of course, but how tall are you?”

“More often than you’d think for someone who’s as much of a, how did you put it exactly?, a ‘scary emo,’” Virgil laughed. Before sighing a little and running a hand though his hair. “I’m.. uh… 6’6”.’ He blushed.

Roman’s eyes opened wide. “Whoa! Seriously?!”

“Uhh.. Yeah? I wouldn’t make that up. It’s… a lot.” He raised an eyebrow.

“You are literally a foot and a half taller than me. A full 18 inches.”

“…You are 5 feet tall? Like.. flat?” Virgil seemed surprised. Roman rolled his eyes and put his hands up in air quotes.

“ ‘Uhh.. Yeah? I wouldn’t make that up. It’s… _not_  a lot.’” They both laughed. They spent the rest of the night talking and laughing together, just overall having a great night. Before long the bar was starting to close down and they had to leave. Roman instinctively grabbed Virgil’s hand, trying not to get lost in the crowd behind the darkly dressed giant. His cheeks burned a little, but he lead his new tiny person out to the safety of the lit sidewalk. He turned around and looked down, noticing Roman was breathing hard.

“Roman are you ok?” Virgil asked him, concerned. Roman looked up at him with pure fire in his eyes and had something of an adorable tantrum.

“Do you have any idea how long your strides are?! I was sprinting back there!” He huffed and pouted, crossing his arms. Virgil let out a deep laugh, much to the continued dismay of Roman. Roman reached into the Emo’s pocket and took his phone, entering his number into it before stuffing it back into his jacket pocket. He was still pouting, looking up at the beanpole before him.

“Hey.. You have something on your face.” Roman pointed up at Virgil’s cheek. He raised one of his hands and brushed at his face. “No, no you aren’t getting it.” Roman grabbed one of Virgil’s hands and yanked him down to his eye level. He wrapped his other hand around the giant’s neck and planted a kiss on his surprised mouth. It was over as quickly as it began and Roman spun on his heel and walked in the opposite direction. He turned over his shoulder and waved as he went.

“Text me, you giant Emo!”

Virgil pulled out his phone and looked down at the contact that had just been entered. He had no idea what he had just gotten himself into… But he had never been more excited.


	2. A First Date

_What is wrong with you? Just do it. Why are you like this? You obviously care about him? You were willing to potentially get yourself punched over him_.

Virgil paced around his room before throwing himself on the bed. Was he supposed to text him so soon? It was only last night… But.. Roman had to be into him? He had kissed him after all. But they had been drinking. Maybe it was just that they were tipsy. Maybe he regretted it… Maybe…

He stared at his phone. Well. One thing was certain. Roman didn’t even have his number. So… He couldn’t be sure what the other was thinking since he had no way to contact him. So… Roman could turn him down himself if he wanted. He picked up his phone and scrolled to the contact that Roman had made.

* * *

The phone suddenly buzzed and it was instantly in Roman’s hand.

*Unknown Contact* Hey, It’s Virgil. Here’s my number… If you want it.  
  
Roman smirked but also felt a bit sad. That explained a lot. That poor… little? nervous baby.

🌟Roman🌟: Hello Virgil! I’ll save your contact. I was hoping to hear from you 😁  
🖤Virgil🖤:  Oh, really? Uh.. Do you wanna.. Get dinner or something?  
🌟Roman🌟: That sounds magnificent! Where and when?  
🖤Virgil🖤: Um… I could probably get us into that place that overlooks the pier?  
🌟Roman🌟: The fancy place? Don’t you need a reservation?  
🖤Virgil🖤: My brother works there.   
🌟Roman🌟: Oooo Boy… You’ve got connections!  
🖤Virgil🖤: ….Meet you there at 6, weirdo.  
🌟Roman🌟: I’ll be counting the moments.

Virgil smirked and began texting his brother, Patton.

lil bro💜: Hey Pat, can you get me a reservation for 2 at 6 tonight?  
BIG BRO🐶: Of course Verge! What’s the occasion??? 😁😊😋🐶💜  
lil bro 💜: I uh.. Have a date.  
BIG BRO🐶: AWWW THAT IS SO PURE DONT YOU WORRY VERGIE YOUR BROTHER WILL MAKE SURE IT IS PERFECT💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜  
lil bro💜: …Thank you, Pat.

Virgil groaned. Oh greeeeat.

* * *

Virgil sat on a bench outside the restaurant, he was a bit early and he did his best to look nice. As nice as he could anyway, he really only owned duplicates of the same things. But he had on one of his few pairs of black jeans that weren’t ripped and one of his only shirts that wasn’t black. It was a very dark shade of purple, which totally counted. He still had his signature makeup, but it was very clean and not as smudged as he usually made it. His headphones were in, he was trying to psych himself up with music. It distracted him from a lot of the nervousness he felt, but it also kept him from noticing that the man he was waiting for had walked right up to him.

“Hey! Earth to Virgil… You in there, Tall, Dark, and Handsome?” Roman patted him on the arm. Virgil’s eyes suddenly focused and he pulled the headphones out of his ears.

“Oh, Roman. Sorry. I zoned out pretty hard there… Handsome?” He suddenly blushed.

“So you could hear me. How convenient.” Roman chuckled and grabbed his hand. “Come on you. Let’s get some dinner.” Roman tugged Virgil to his feet and pulled the giant along behind him. Virgil realized now why Roman had such a hard time when he was the one leading last night. Roman’s strides were nothing. Virgil had never walked in slow motion before…  
  
They went inside and up to the host stand, Roman still leading the way. Virgil didn’t even have time to speak, which honestly was nice for him. Roman’s confidence was very helpful.

“Welcome! How can I help you?”

“Hello there, Madam! We have a reservation for 2 at 6pm.” Roman spoke in such a regal manner, Virgil wasn’t even sure if he realized he did it.

“Of course! Let me find you…” The hostess looked down through her reservations, then glanced up at Virgil. “Oh! You must be Small!” The hostess smiled.

Roman looked at her, then back at Virgil, then slowly started turning red. In a very hushed voice he asked a question consisting of only one word.

“…Small?” Roman was staring at Virgil, his eyes full of fire. Virgil had a sudden realization.

“Yes. That is us.” He placed a hand on Roman’s shoulder and pulled him away from the hostess stand a bit. He began to chuckle, unable to stop himself.

“WHAT?!” Roman literally stamped his foot in anger. Virgil could only respond by laughing harder, his hands clutching his sides. He managed to fumble into his pocket and pull out his wallet. Flipping it open he thrust it at Roman.

Roman could not imagine what he could possibly be about to show him. Was this guy for real?! Inviting him to this fancy restaurant just to… He looked down at the wallet and the fire immediately died inside him.

“…Are you kidding me? Your last name is Small?” Roman was dumbfounded. Virgil responded only by wheezing and nodding. The hostess realized what happened and smiled in understanding while grabbing the menus and leading them to their table. Virgil managed to stop laughing at some point and began apologizing.

“Oh Roman… I’m sorry. It didn’t even occur to me… That… Was so hilarious.” Virgil dabbed at the tears on his face with his napkin.

“Very funny, Small.” Roman mock pouted.

“Oh hey, now that’s not fair. What’s your last name?” Virgil asked, still laughing. Roman’s face immediately turned beat red. He mumbled some unintelligible sound.

“What was that?” Virgil raised an eyebrow. It couldn’t be worse than Small.

“It’s… Towers.” Roman said quietly.

“You have got to be kidding me.” Virgil didn’t think he had any laughter left in his body, but there is was. Spilling out of him once again. Roman continued his mock pouting.

“Oh come on! That is hilarious! Roman Towers?” Virgil smiled.

“That’s real rich, Virgil Small.” Roman finally gave in to the giggles he was suppressing.

“Touché.” They both laughed until their waiter arrived.

“Hello you two! Oh, are you Pat’s brother?” The waiter asked as he came up, Virgil nodded. “He asked me to take extra special care of his brother and special guest! Can I get you both something to drink?”

“Whatever he gets, makes sure it’s strong. He’s having a rough one so far tonight.” Virgil continued to laugh.

“Oh ha ha. I’ll just have an iced tea.” Roman chuckled.

“Same here.” Virgil smiled as the waiter walked away.

“So, the hostess recognized you and so did the waiter. Do you come here a lot? This place is pretty swanky.” Roman asked, looking over the menu.

“No, i’ve only been once or twice actually. I guess people just think I look like Pat.” Virgil shrugged.

“Oh is that the brother you mentioned? Where is he?” Roman glanced around the room, looking for another beanpole.

“He’s their pastry chef. He’s probably in the back somewhere. I don’t really think we look alike.” Virgil didn’t look up from his menu.

“I have a brother too, actually. Is Pat your big brother or your little brother?”

“He is my…. Younger brother. Just me and him.” Virgil said, seemingly like he was choosing his words carefully. Roman chose to let it slide.

“I have an older brother, his name is Logan. Just us two as well. We get together once a month or so and have a game night to catch up and stuff. I’m actually going over there next weekend.” Roman explained.

“Oh that’s really cool. I should do something like with Patton, he would love that.”

“…You two are welcome to come next week if you like? Logan doesn’t get out much, I’d love for him to make some friends.”

“Oh, uhhh Suuuure. I’ll ask Pat if he’s free.” Virgil once again seemed a little hesitant about his brother, but Roman chose not to pry.

They made some small talk, getting to know one another a bit more over the course of the meal. Once their meals were finished and their plates cleared away, a rather large brownie sundae appeared. Written on the plate in beautiful looping chocolate cursive was:

> _For Vergie and his Special Friend_

Virgil just about died right then and there. His face was as red as Roman’s dress shirt and if his hoodie wasn’t in his car he would have dove into it by now. He somehow managed to steal a look at Roman who was standing up and taking a picture of the gorgeous display.

“This is magnificent! Your brother is quite a talented individual! I simply must put this on Instagram!” Roman was smiling, even taking a couple selfies with the sundae. He then slid back over next to Virgil and pressed his back against his chest, trying to get a selfie of the two of them. Virgil chuckled a little at Roman.

“What’s so funny back there?”

“…You need one of those camera sticks.”

“A selfie stick? I have several just not with me.”

“Well… You do have me in the mean time.” Virgil took the phone in hand and extended out his enormous noodley arm, getting the camera just as far as it would have been if Roman had his missing phone accessory.

“Oh my… You are so perfect! I don’t even need a selfie stick with you around!” Roman began to squeal slightly in excitement which Virgil had to admit… was very cute. Virgil indulged in all of Roman’s ridiculous poses, taking several pictures for him to go through later. On the last one Roman turned around and snuck a kiss, Virgil instinctively pressing the camera button in his surprise.

Roman pulled away, looking at the deep blush on Virgil’s cheeks and seeming satisfied with himself. He snagged his phone back and began looking through the pictures.

“Oh yeah. These are spectacular. This is the beginning of a beautiful relationship.” Roman laughed to himself.

“Oh is it?” Virgil raised an eyebrow, his voice still small.

“Well… You were the one who called me your boyfriend before you even knew my name.” Roman reminded him and booped him on the nose with a finger.

“…Well… Touché then.” He blushed but a smile spread across his face.

“I mean… unless…” Roman faltered slightly. Virgil found his unusually  to be rather endearing and before he realized what he was doing, he found himself leaning forward and giving Roman a quick kiss. As a blush spread across Roman’s cheeks, he smiled and put his arm around his little prince’s shoulders. Roman nestled against him and went back to looking at his pictures as the two them shared their delicious dessert.

The little black book with their bill arrived and Virgil was able to grab it before Roman had a chance, thanks again to his long arms.

“Hey! I was gonna get dinner, you paid for my drink last night.”

“Well, I’m the one who invited you. This is my date.” Virgil stuck his tongue out and held the check out of Roman’s reach. He flipped it open and rather than a bill there was a note in that same loopy cursive.

_Dinner is on me tonight Kiddo! Go do something fun and text me later!! :D_

They both chuckled a bit and started heading for the door, holding hands.


	3. The Carnival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (panic attack warning)

The two walked out of the restaurant and they glanced at the pier that the restaurant sat above. There seemed to be a lot of activity.

“Oh, there’s a carnival going on over there. Wanna go walk around for a while? It’s still pretty early.” Virgil pointed off to where the bright lights and music were coming from. Roman smiled and nodded, the two of them heading off to the festivities, still having trouble finding a good walking pace to accommodate both of them.

They walked down the pier, both of them eyeing the hastily constructed carnival rides.

_/Oh I hope he doesn’t want to go on any of these… Because I’m too../_

They looked at each other, noticing they both had the same look of panic on their face.

“Did you want to..” they both began, awkwardly laughing at their unison.

“I can’t…” They started again, laughing a bit harder.

“No rides?” Virgil asked.

“No rides.” Roman agreed.

They both sighed in relief, happy someone understood, even if for kind of the opposite reason. They walked over to a carnival game on the side, one of the ones where you had to knock down the blocks that were probably glued together. Virgil scoffed at the rigged game but Roman saw a challenge. He flagged down the bored teenager who ran the game and gave him some money.

“Roman… What are you doing?”

“I’m gonna win my little Panic at the Carnival a toy.” Roman said, a little too seriously. Virgil stepped back and let him do his thing, this should at least be fun to watch if nothing else.

“What you ever you say, Prince Charming.” Virgil joked, completely unaware that the nickname half spurned Roman on to be victorious and half made him melt a little. He grabbed the baseball in his hand, he had three tries. The more he knocked over, the better the prize.

He threw his first ball, striking the center of the block tower, but of course they didn’t move. Fire burning in his eyes, he threw again, striking the same spot. Still nothing. Giving in to the fire that eternally burned in his tiny body, he threw the last ball with the all power he had. The ball hit the same spot and pushed the whole block tower off of what it was sitting on in one big chunk.

“Ha! I did it!” Roman cheered, jumping in the air in triumph. The teenager vaguely gestured to the hanging Pokémon plush toys the lined the top of the booth. Roman turned to Virgil, who was exceptionally impressed.

“Ok.. This is a serious relationship test right here, Virgil. I need you to answer this question honestly.” Roman said, his face fully serious. Virgil raised an eyebrow, his arms crossed across his chest.

“….Which Pokémon plush do you want?” Roman gestured to the original 3 starters and of course the ever popular Pikachu. Virgil silently glanced up at the 4 Pokémon.

“….Bulbasaur?” He asked, still with an eyebrow raised. The teen pulled down the grass type Pokémon and handed it to Roman. Roman held the plush out to Virgil.

“Good choice. You may continue being my boyfriend.” Roman laughed as Virgil took the plush with a blush. Virgil quickly glanced at the other carnival games and spotted something. Virgil side smiled Roman and then took off at a sprint. Roman was shocked, he had no idea that beanpole could move so fast. He took off after him but by the time he caught up, Virgil was playing his own carnival game. Basketball.

Virgil was effortlessly tossing basketballs cleanly into the hoop, not even touching the rim. He sunk every ball without effort. He gestured to the pokemon hanging near the hoop.

“Same question.” Virgil smirked as Roman silently pointed to the plush Charmander. As it was brought down, he handed it over to Roman.

“There. Now you can continue being my boyfriend.” They both laughed until Roman suddenly had a moment of clarity.

“Wait… You can play basketball?”

“Oh Lord no. I can just throw the ball. The rest of that sport would kill me.” He laughed. “If all I had to do was stand still and sink baskets, i’d be a world champion.” He chuckled and pulled Roman close as they walked away from the games.

They wandered toward a large group of people, crowded around some kind of commotion in the center of the pier. Virgil made it to the back edge of the crowd and looked over everyone’s heads to see what was going on. Roman huffed and pushed his way through the people to the front of the crowd to see what the spectacle.

There were some performers doing a miniature show in the center of the ring of onlookers. They were doing several different kinds of tricks and the crowd was happily cheering along with them. The performers soon started tossing some of their props in a trunk off to the side. One of them stepped into the very center and began to speak to the crowd.

“Ok! For our final trick and our biiiiig finale… We are going to need a volunteer!” Several audience members raised their hands and jumped up and down, trying to get their attention. The performers scanned the crowd and one nudged the center performer and jerked their head in a direction that hadn’t been being looked at. The center performer looked over and instantly had wide eyes and a curling smile.

“You in the back there! The really tall guy! Come on up! You are perfect!” The crowd turned and looked in the direction the performer was speaking and all eyes were instantly on the tallest person in attendance, Virgil. A pathway opened up in front of him and he felt his legs slowly carry him forward as the crowd cheered. He paused as he got to Roman who was still standing at the very front and he silently handed him his plushie. His eyes were huge and seemed to scream for Roman’s help.

Virgil walked into the center of the circle and the crowd cheered for the skinny giant, many of them murmuring to each other about his height. Roman watched, Virgil seemed rather uncomfortable. He knew his emo was an anxious one, but he wasn’t really sure how to help him.

“Alright, for our last trick…. We will be fire juggling!” They announced to the roaring crowd. Roman and Virgil’s eyes widened even more so. The performers positioned themselves around Virgil in a big square with him in the center. They each sparked something unseeable with some fire starter and they all were holding a ball of fire. Virgil had no idea what he was supposed to do, and continued to stand there like the world’s tallest owl, his eyes looking too large for his head at this point. The performers began putting on their show, flinging the ball around themselves and each other. It was still unclear to everyone what Virgil was doing standing there… Until one chucked a ball of fire to the person across from them rather than one of the ones next to them.

The ball of flame passed right over Virgil’s head, not getting close enough to singe his hair, but close enough for him to feel the heat. The crowd went wild, instantly seeing why they chose the tallest person around. The crowd was cheering so loud and watching the fire zing around, each time passing so close to Virgil, they didn’t even notice that the giant in the center was completely frozen. Roman’s heart ached, watching him stand completely still, already realizing that freezing in place seemed to be one of Virgil’s anxious reactions.

The performance didn’t last too much longer, even though it felt like eternity to the new couple. The performers bowed to the cheering crowd, and they all dispersed relatively quickly. Roman rushed forward and grabbed Virgil’s hand.

“Virgil? Are you alright?” He asked, worried. Virgil didn’t really say anything. Roman gently pulled him over to a nearby bench, helping him to sit down. Roman looked Virgil over, he was stoic and still. He carefully placed two fingers on his wrist, like he had the night they met, and found that his pulse was absolutely racing.

“Oh Virge… Uh.. It’s ok, big guy. I’m right here, you’re ok, I have you, you’re safe with me.” Roman stood infront of Virgil, they were about eye level with the taller man sitting down. “Oh what was that thing I read…” Roman looked at Virgil, his eyes fearful. Virgil slowly managed to focus his eyes and moved them to look at Roman.

“Are you with me, Virge? Can you..” Roman asked, seeing how he was able to at least focus one him. Virgil nodded, his hands clenching his own knees. His breathing was shallow and quick and Roman wasn’t really sure how to help. He sat down next to Virgil, pressing his leg up against his, wrapping one arm around his waist, and pulled out his phone, frantically searching for something online.

“..ssss…..Sssorrrry…” Virgil hissed out, his head suddenly drooping toward his chest.

“What? No i’m sorry. I’m so sorry…” Roman glanced toward Virgil, happy he was at least verbal at this point, and then back to his phone.

“Ok Virgil, can you tell me….5 things you can see?” Roman asked, reading from his phone. There was a long pause before Virgil responded.

“Uhhhh… my haaands… y-your shoooooes.. my.. my.. pluuushhie…” Virgil picked his head up a little and turned to Roman. “Y-your shirrrrt…. Y-y-you.”

“That’s great Virge. 4 things you can feel?” Roman placed his Bulbasaur plush in his lap.

“Uh.. The bench… ssssoft plusshh… y-your arm… the wwwiiind.” His voice was getting a bit clearer as he went.

“Perfect. 3 things you can hear?”

“…C-carnival music.. People t-talking… Your voice.”

“2 you can smell?”

“…Your cologne… Churros?” Virgil sniffed deeply, helping to reset his breathing.

“1 thing you can taste?” Roman looked over at Virgil who licked his lips.

“….Mint?”

“Mint? When did you have mint?”

“…I-I don’t know?”

They looked at each other a moment before Virgil sighed deeply.

“I’m so sorry… I didn’t want you to have to..” Virgil began but Roman cut him off.

“No, don’t you apologize. You didn’t do anything wrong. Are you ok? Sorry I didn’t know how to help…” Roman stared down at his lap. Virgil wrapped his arm around Roman’s shoulder and pulled him against him.

“Thank you, you did perfect. I really appreciate it.” Virgil smiled a sincere half smile, Roman melting at the sight and wrapping himself tighter in Virgil’s arms. They sat together for a while, happily enjoying each other and letting both of their hearts calm down.

“Hey… So. Maybe want to go on one ride?” Roman suddenly asked, turning around to face Virge. He raised an eyebrow in response. Hadn’t they silently agreed they were both the wrong size for rides?

“What do you have in mind?” Virgil asked, genuinely curious what he could have been thinking. Roman silently gestured all the way to the end of the pier. Virgil turned and looked, seeing an enormous Ferris Wheel. It looked… Potentially doable. Virgil shrugged and the two of them got up, heading toward the ride together.

They arrived at the ride, Virgil taking a long moment to ensure he wasn’t too tall, and they got into the seat together. As they rode around the wheel they snuggled together. The view was beautiful, both inside and outside their basket. As they pulled themselves closer together, they turned and looked at each other, their eyes sparkling in the moonlight.

“So… I know we’ve been joking about it since dinner. But I just wanted to make sure that we were both on the same page..” Roman began, his rare unsure expression was back.

“Roman… Will you be my boyfriend?” Virgil asked, a smile playing across his lips.

“Of course.” He replied, his eyes sparking.

And for the very first time, they shared a kiss that they were both prepared for.


	4. The Brothers

Virgil’s smile still hadn’t left his face as his head hit the pillow that night. He had never expected things to go so well and he couldn’t be happier. He felt a buzz in his pajama pocket and pulled out his cell phone to find two texts.

🌟Roman🌟: I had a wonderful night tonight, I can hardly wait for the rest of them ❤🖤

Virgil’s heart swelled, butterflies floating around inside him. He glanced down at the other message.

BIG BRO🐶: Virgie! How was your daaaate? You have to tell me alll about hiiiim! 💜💜💜💜

He chuckled a little bit, Patton was such a sweetheart. He tapped out his two responses, telling Roman he was equally as excited and telling Pat he would give him a call in the morning. He rolled over and found that for the first time in a while, falling asleep was easy. His dreams were full of his Prince… His boyfriend.

* * *

The sun peaked through the curtains of Roman’s window, illuminating his face in dappled light. He awoke gently and smiled to the day. He popped out of bed and ran to his kitchen, making himself a warm drink, and then headed to his desk. He pulled out his sketchpad and began sketching out ideas for future dates with his new Tall, Dark, and Handsome.

_Oh right, gotta text Lo._

Roman: Magnificent Morning, dearest brother!

👓Logan👓: Good morning, Roman. Do you require something of me?

Roman: No… Well… is it ok that I maaay have invited my new boyfriend to game night?

👓Logan👓: That is fine.

Roman: He’s super cute! And he has a /brooooooother/ I bet he’s just as cuuuuute….

👓Logan👓: Why do you so incessantly try and set me up with people?

Roman: Logan. Virgil is 6’6”. What the chances his brother /isn’t/ at least close to that?

👓Logan👓: …So he’s bringing this brother?

* * *

Virgil grumbled as he awoke, looking over at his clock. It was pretty late in the morning, Pat was probably eagerly waiting on his phone call. He dragged himself out of bed, clad in only his purple pajama pants, them barely staying up as they clung to his narrow hips. He wandered to his kitchen and made a cup of coffee, dumping sugar and creamer in it before tossing himself on the couch, grabbing his phone, and calling his brother.

His phone rung exactly once.

“Hello! Good morning Virge!!!”

“Pat.. It’s too early for your particular brand of cheerfulness.”

“Kiddo… It’s nearly Noon.”

“I meant what I said.”

The two laughed and chatted a little bit, Patton toning down his volume a little while Virgil’s coffee started waking him up.

“Ok, I was good. Tell me about your date!”

“Ha, ok ok. His name is Roman. I actually met him at a bar.” Virgil admitted, explaining the situation that happened with the drunk guy and how Virgil somehow mustered the courage to intervene.

“Oh wow, Virgil. I’m so proud of you.”

“I don’t even know how I did it. I just did. I mean… This guy was big.”

“…Big like us?”

“…No one is big like us, Pat.”

“That’s why I was surprised.” Patton laughed, his laugh was so pure. A deep belly laugh that made everyone around him smile. “And anyway, this guy must have been pretty cute! Does he have a brother?” Patton joked.

“He does. That was actually one of things I wanted to talk to you about.”

“..Oh?” Virgil could hear the intrigue in his younger brother’s voice.

“I guess Roman and his brother, Logan, get together every few weeks and have a game night. He invited both of us to come.”

“Oh thats sooo sweeeeet! I’d love to come!”

“I figured, Pat. But you have to be on your best behavior… I want to keep this boyfriend.” Virgil blushed hard.

“Awww… You know i’d never do anything to embarrass you!”

“….on purpose.” Virgil mumbled.

“What was that, Virgie?”

“…Nothing. But hey, I’ll let Roman know we are in. I’ll text you a time and address when I have one. This Saturday.”

“I can’t wait! Love ya, lil bro.”

“Love you too, Pat.”

* * *

Roman picked up his phone and saw he had a text from Virgil.

🖤Virgil🖤: Hey, Pat is super excited for game night.  
🌟Roman🌟: Great! I already let Logan know you two will be coming.

They texted on and off for the rest of the day, deciding to get together a couple times over the week, but days just flew by and before Virgil even realized it… He was waking up Saturday morning.

He got up and got ready, texting Pat and reminding him the time to meet over at Logan’s house. Virgil was going to head over a little early.. He wasn’t sure if it was because he wanted to meet Logan beforehand so he wouldn’t potentially be overwhelmed by the very large Small brothers at once… or if he just wanted to warn them both about Patton.

_/I guess I’ll figure it out when I get there./_

He got himself dressed, smiling to himself. Today was going to be… Interesting.

* * *

Roman was flitting around Logan’s living room, making sure everything was just right.

“Roman, calm down. I’m sure that Virgil and Patton won’t care if all the pointless decorative items in my living room are straightened.” Logan rolled eyes, not looking up from the book he was reading.

“I just want everything to be perfect!”

“I can see that.”

There was a knock on the door and Roman ran to the peephole. Looking out, he saw a purple shirt with a black hoodie over it, he knew it had to be his Jack Skellington. He threw the door open, shocking the anxious giant. He leapt forward, luckily Virgil caught him, and gave him a big hug.

“Virge!” Roman smiled.

“Hey, Ro. I’m a bit early.” He said as they let each other go, placing his hand on the back of his neck in embarrassment.

“Oh it is no problem at all. Come in and meet Lo!” Roman pulled him by his hand into the house, Virgil carefully ducking to dodge the doorframe. Logan was standing inside, trying to hide his surprise at how large Virgil was. Roman had told him his height, but it was hard to get a completely accurate mental depiction of something until it was in front of you.

“It’s nice to meet you, Virgil. Roman has said only good things.” He held hand out to shake which Virgil grasped in his much larger hand.

“Likewise, Logan.” Virgil smiled gently as he looked over the man in front of him. He was definitely related to Roman. They had the same striking dark eyes and chocolate brown hair. He was also on the short side, but not nearly as short as Roman was. He also had thick black glasses and was wearing a necktie. Huh.

“Oh don’t mind Logan, he always dresses like that. He’s just so formal.” Roman laughed, seeing both his boyfriend and his brother looking the other one over. Roman chuckled a little, the two didn’t know each other very well yet, but he knew they would make good friends. They had a lot in common, especially because they weren’t the most emotional people. But Roman could see that Logan was fighting a bit of a blush, he knew his brother had a weakness for tall guys. Virgil was probably the tallest person that they had ever met.

They made some small talk and Logan showed Virgil some of their games, he wasn’t sure what he was expecting but Logan had a lot more games than he had ever heard of. Logan excused himself to the bathroom and Virgil got a text just a moment later.

BIG BRO🐶: Hey Kiddo! I’m pretty sure i’m here, would you give me a hand with some of these snacks I brought?

“Ready to meet Patton?” Virgil turned his phone to Roman. Roman read the text and was a little confused.

“Of course!” They stood to go outside but Roman paused. “Quick question?”

“Hm?” Virgil turned back to Roman.

“Didn’t you say that Patton was your younger brother?”

“I did.” Virgil’s neutral expression instantly became a smirk.

“Why is your contact name for him “Big Bro”? And he calls you ‘Kiddo’?”

“…I never said he was little. Just that he is younger than me. And i’m fairly confident he calls everyone ‘Kiddo’.” Virgil shrugged and walked out the door. Roman followed after him, so curious to see this person.

Out on the street in front of the house was a big blue SUV. There was a man sitting in the driver’s seat, looking down at his phone.

“Hey Pat!” Virgil called, the man looking up and seeming relieved to see Virgil.

“Virge! I was hoping I was in the right place!” Patton called from the driver’s seat. He unbuckled his seat belt and stepped out onto the sidewalk. Roman was standing a ways back from the sidewalk, frozen mid-step and completely in awe. Patton was… Enormous. He had to be nearly 5 inches taller than Virgil. And while Virgil was a Tim Burton-esque giant… Patton had to be nearly twice as thick. Roman was fairly sure that Virgil could fit his entire body in one of Patton’s khaki pant legs. He also had on a light blue polo and a pair of glasses that looked exactly like Logan’s. Somehow on Logan they made him look calculating and serious, but on Patton they made him look innocent and sweet.

Virgil walked up and was instantly pulled into a hug. Roman had never imagined there was someone who would make his Pumpkin King look so… Small. But Patton was essentially Shaquille O’Neal. 

_Oh man… Logan is just going to loooove you._

“Pat! I’m fragile, remember?” Virgil squeaked out, his brother releasing him.

“Sorry Virge!” Patton apologized, laughing and smiling wide. Roman had to admit, Patton seemed so big but he also was somehow adorable? He had such a big smile and a hearty laugh, it made him seem like an enormous teddy bear. Roman stepped up and waved hello to Patton, shocked to be standing near someone who was nearly 2 full feet taller than he was.

“Hello Patton, I’m Roman. Its spectacular to meet you, i’ve heard so much about you.” Roman smiled, turning on his usual charm. Patton looked down slightly, seeing Roman standing in front of him. His hands instantly flew to his own cheeks.

“Oh my… You are the cutest thing I have ever seen!” Patton squealed and bent slightly to wrap Roman in a spine-crushing hug that made the shorter one completely understand Virgil’s reaction. Seemingly without realizing it, Patton straightened up slightly and Roman completely left the ground. Virgil’s face was immediately red, unsure if he was more mortified by Patton or hilariously amused to see Roman hanging in the air.

“Patton! Put him down!” Virgil called, his arms crossed. Patton’s eyes went wide as he bent back over and placed Roman back down ever so gently.

“Oh gosh. I am so sorry.. I didn’t even realize you were off the ground.” Patton looked so embarrassed. Virgil and Patton shared a worried glance before both looking back at Roman with concern. Roman’s eyes were wide but he quickly chuckled and straightened his clothes back out.

“…You are like one of those giant plush teddy bears, aren’t you?” Was for some reason the only thing Roman could think to say. Virgil and Patton immediately began laughing.

“That is it exactly. He’s the big one.. But i’m the spoooky one. I’m not sure he could be intimidating if he tried.” Virgil laughed and gave his brother a pat on the shoulder.

“Sorry again though, I dont realize my own… Height?” Patton chuckled, laughing at himself.

“Don’t you worry at all. Trust me… You aren’t the first to lift me. Although… I can’t say i’ve ever been /so/ far off the ground before.” They laughed and all turned to Patton’s SUV to help him carry in his snacks.

-

Unbeknownst to the three outside, they were being watched. Logan was just inside the open door, peeking around the doorframe. He saw most of their exchange, he was going to head outside to see where everyone had gone when he saw Patton lifting up his tiny brother. Logan’s face was flushed red and he was glad no one was looking at him. Patton was gorgeous. His laugh was so genuine and sincere… Logan didn’t want to admit that he had a type but.. He was fairly sure that if he did… Patton fit into it exactly.

Patton was bending into the back seat of his car, pulling out his portable containers full of treats. Logan took one last look, especially since he had the opportunity to see this gentle giant from the back, and then rushed back inside. He placed himself back on the couch and picked up his book, trying for the life of him to focus on reading.


	5. Game Night

“So where should I put all these? Sorry if I went overboard… Dessert is just what I love to do.” Patton asked as they walked toward the house. Logan heard them approaching and tried to steady his heart rate.

“Oh we can put them on some plates so we can snack on them easier.” Roman cheerily answered.

The 3 of them walked in, each holding a couple plastic containers with handles. Roman lead the way, followed by Virgil, and finally Patton. Logan tried to barely look as he watched the giant enter his home, hardly ducking low enough to avoid hitting his head on his doorframe. Virgil and Roman had made it to the table to put their containers down and then Virgil went back and grabbed the ones that Patton still held. Patton had paused when he entered, noticing Logan on the couch.

They two bespectacled men paused a bit as they looked at each other, Logan standing up to greet the newcomer. Virgil and Roman were leaning on the table, watching their brothers stand awkwardly. The couple shared an eyebrow raised glance before turning back to look at them.

“Uh.. Hello. I’m Logan. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Logan finally broke the silence and held out his hand.

“Oh uh.. Hi! I’m Patton! Bring it on in!” Patton grabbed Logan’s outstretched hand and gently pulled him into the first hug of the day that didn’t crack anyone’s back or lift them off the ground.

“This is so pure.” Virgil leaned and whispered into Roman’s ear. Roman nodded vigorously then whispered back.

“I knew Lo would be into Pat as soon as I saw him… He has a weakness for height, i’ve noticed.”

“Well Pat has that to spare… He’s into ‘cute’ apparently?” The two whispered back and forth a moment and looked up to see them separating. They quickly went back to just leaning on the table.

“Hey Pat! What’s all this?” Virgil called, ending the awkward staring match.

“Oh! Uh… I’ll give you the tour.” Patton called, walking over to the table with Logan at his heels. Patton began pointing to all the different desserts. There were cupcakes, brownies, different types of cookies, fudge, and tarts.

“And last but certainly not least,” Patton pulled the lid off the last and largest container. While all the others had several different things inside, this one was just piled high with neat, perfect, squares. “My personal favorite, salted caramel!”

“…Mine too.” Logan said quietly, eyeing the mountain of caramel.

“Really?” Patton’s voice was weirdly hopeful.

“I like the way that the salt interacts with the sweet. It’s a more complex taste.”

“Oh you are a salty sweet kind of a guy? I have this awesome cookie recipe I’ll have to make next time. They are spectacular! Well… At least that’s what I’m told.” Patton suddenly became shy.

“I don’t doubt it, I look forward to trying them.” Logan smiled, a rare big and genuine smile. He reached forward and popped a caramel into his mouth. He just about melted right there. “Oh my word… This is superb.”

“I’m so glad you like it! I’ve been perfecting my caramel recipe for years… But i’m the only one who seems to like it, so it’s just what I like.” Patton blushed.

“Well… I’d be more than willing to assist you with that endeavor.” Logan responded, also blushing.

“Look, I’m sorry I don’t like caramel, ok?” Virgil laughed, once again pulling Patton and Logan out of their enamored staring match.

“It’s alright, Kiddo. I brought your favorites.” Patton turned to his brother and ruffled his hair a bit. He pulled a lid off of another container and found a whole pile of peanut butter cookies with purple chocolate chips. Patton’s eyes suddenly went wide and he slammed the lid back down. “You two don’t have any allergies, right?” Logan and Roman both shook their heads no and Patton sighed in relief, revealing the peanut butter chocolate cookies once again.

“Where do you get purple chocolate chips?” Roman asked, grabbing one. It was surprisingly soft, not hard like most peanut butter cookies.

“Ohm puurrtie shooooer eee mukks um” Virgil mumbled through the cookie he jammed whole into his mouth.

“…What?” Roman laughed, he had never seen Virgil do anything so unbecoming. It was adorable.

“Kiddo! Don’t talk with your mouth full! But yes, I do make them myself. Virgil’s favorite color is purple, and I like to personalize things when I can.” He smiled wide after scolding his brother. Virgil didn’t seem to care, he responded only by taking another cookie. “I would have made special treats for everyone if I knew what you liked! And also your favorite colors.”

“I like red! And Logan is a navy blue kind of a guy.” Roman turned to Logan to find he had, uncharacteristically, tossed another two caramels in his mouth.  

“Great! I’ll remember that!”

“Anyway… Games?” Logan swallowed hard, tearing his eyes away from Patton and the delicious caramels to look over at the board games he had piled up.

“Oh oh oh! I know what I want to play!” Roman jumped up and ran to look over at the games pile. Buried under most of the other things he found a bright blue box. Logan groaned.

“How did I know you select Dicecapades?” Logan placed his hand on his forehead.

“What’s that one like?” Patton asked, happily.

“Oh its so fun! It has three kinds of cards: action, thinking, and trivia. You roll a dice to determine what card you draw. Its fun!” Roman placed the game down on the table and the two Smalls read the box.

_“Dicecapades! Challenge your Brain, Body, & Creativity with TONS of Dice!_”

“Huh. Seems like it has something for everybody.” Virgil shrugged, already somewhere between his 5th and 6th cookie.

“Sounds fun!” Patton smiled. Roman pulled the lid off of the box and opened it up.

“Well, everyone make yourselves comfortable.” Logan gestured to the square dining table. Virgil and Patton shared a glance at the table and then at each other.

“Uh… Do you mind if we… Uh.” Virgil gestured to the chair and did a spinning motion with his hand.

“Whatever you need to do to be comfortable.” Logan assured. Virgil and Patton both grabbed a chair and spun it around so the back was pressed up against the table. They sat with their chests up against the back and this allowed them to hang their legs down and out to the side a bit. Logan and Roman slowly realized there must be no other way for them to fit their legs under the table. With the exception of kneeling on the floor.

“Oh.. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize…” Logan began. But Virgil and Patton both just chuckled.

“Don’t worry about it, Logan. No one can really prepare for us.” Virgil smiled as he crossed his arms over the back of the chair. “Now, let’s play.” Roman and Logan were staring at the two of them, still looking enormous, even now that they were sitting.

“I’m sorry… I just have to..” Roman walked over next to the now sitting Patton and stood next to him. “You… Are almost taller than me.. Even sitting down. I just… Can i ask… How tall are you?” Roman was in shock. Patton just laughed his hearty bear laugh. Logan was glad no one was looking at him, as he melted once more at the sound.

“He’s like 7 foot 12 foot 97.” Virgil laughed, grabbing yet another cookie. Patton rolled his eyes.

“It’s no problem, Roman. I’m about… 6’10” and a half? Ish?” Patton shrugged. “It gets harder to measure once you get above… Average.” He chuckled a little more. Roman and Logan were in awe.

“That’s.. almost 2 feet taller than me? …You are the biggest person I know.” Roman stated, eyes wide.

“I’m the biggest person that most people know.” He laughed. The others all laughed along with him, his laugh was just so infectious. Roman moved back to his seat, across from his brother and between the two giants. He pulled the box lid off and grabbed the rules.

“Ok, so lets start with.. Patton.” He handed Pat a dice with three colors on it. Patton rolled it gently on the table and it landed on blue. Roman handed him an action card.

“Ok… It says roll the brown dice and win that many thumb wrestling matches.” He picked up a die and rolled a three. He smirked slightly and offered his large hand to Virgil first. Virgil’s hands were nearly as large as Pat’s, but while the Emo had long thin fingers, his brother essentially had paws.  It was over in no time. He basically engulfed Roman’s hand and won instantly, his fingers long enough to just press his thumb down even without Roman bending his. He and Logan hesitated as their hands connected, Roman and Virgil couldn’t help but share a knowing glance. Roman faked a quick cough, bringing Lo and Pat back to reality and Pat instantly won once again.

“I did it!” He smiled.

“You keep the card as a point. First person to six wins.” Roman smiled and grabbed the dice, rolling a blue as well. “Roll a yellow dice and do that many pushups. Ha! Easy!” He grabbed the 20-sided yellow die and rolled an 8. He popped down onto the floor and did 8 pushups, one handed because he was showing off, and earned his point. Virgil was next, he rolled a yellow.

“Roll a black die and name a song or band that contains that number.” He rolled a 4.

“Easy. The Four Horsemen by The Clash.” He smiled and took his point. Logan’s turn, he grabbed the dice and rolled a red.

“Yes! Trivia!” Logan smirked. Roman grabbed the red card, so Logan couldn’t see the answers.

“Ok, so with the trivia ones anyone can answer. But house rule is Logan has to wait at least 3 seconds to give others a chance. He always wins the trivia ones.” Roman rolled his eyes and rolled the color die to choose which trivia question to read.

“Ok. Multiple choice. Which Lieutenant colonel commanded the 7th Calvary, who were glorified in the movie, They Died With Their Boots on? Willi-“ Roman read but was cut off.

“Custer.” Came Patton, surprising all three of the others.

“..Correct!” Roman passed the card to Patton. Roman snuck a glance at Logan who completely enamored all over again, probably for the 5th time that afternoon, by Patton. Although this time it had nothing to do with his looks or laugh.

“How did you know that, Pat?” Virgil asked. Patton shrugged his enormous shoulders.

“I just listen to a lot of people. You learn a lot when you are a good listener.” He smiled, rolling the dice for his next turn.

The game continued for several rounds, Roman lifting the house rule so Logan could compete with the surprisingly knowledgable Patton. The cards had them do things like pictionary, which Roman excelled at, as well as having them run in and out of as so many rooms in a limited amount of time and having to stack different sized dice without them falling over. It came down to Patton’s turn and everyone was tied with 5 cards a piece. Next point had the victory.

Patton rolled and got another blue card. Flipping it over he read the final card.

“Anyone with a tattoo gets 1 point.” They all paused and looked at each other. No one moved for a moment. Then both Virgil and Patton reached forward and grabbed a card.

“You guys have tattoos?” Roman asked, curious.

“Yup! We both have one!” Patton smiled, Virgil just nodded with a light blush dusting his cheeks.

“Can.. Can I see?” Roman asked. Virgil’s cheeks darkened slightly.

“Wanna show them, Virge? No pressure.”

“…Sure.”

The two tall brothers stood. Virgil took off his hoodie and Patton removed his cardigan. They looked at each other for a moment before they turned their backs on the two others and swiftly pulled their shirts off. They had tattoos that mostly matched.

On Patton’s right shoulder blade he had a gorgeous white wing, which spread down his arm. It was more anatomically correct than any wing tattoo Logan or Roman had seen, which usually had a wing stuck on someone’s back. The image was mirrored on Virgil’s left side, but his was an inky black raven’s wing. Near where the wings were ‘attached’ to their backs there were words. Logan and Roman approached them to read what was written. On Patton’s back it read “We will always have each other” and Virgil’s said “ even when everything else is gone.”

“Whoa… These are gorgeous.” Roman smiled, touching Virgil’s back as though he was going to feel real feathers growing there. Roman then began looking over Virgil’s back. He was so thin. Not frighteningly so, but still. Upon closer inspection he could see thin stretch marks lining his lower back and ribs. He had a couple light ones on his thin hips that disappeared under his jeans. He was so thin that his pants hung almost dangerously low. Roman couldn’t help but bite his lip.

“The detail is simply immaculate.” Logan agreed, gently touching Patton without thinkinh and he felt himself grow red all the way up to his ears but, Logan couldn’t tear his eyes away from Patton’s broad back. He also had several stretch marks and they were noticeably deeper than Virgil’s. You didn’t get that tall without your skin having something to show for it. He had them all about his lower back and up and down his sides, as well as several across his shoulders. Logan tentatively ran a hand across one, finding beauty in his imperfect skin.

The two taller men slowly turned around, their cheeks pink. Roman and Logan still were staring at them, noting the differences in their bodies. 

Virgil’s skin was so soft and pale, highlighting his lightly protruding hip and collar bones. His legs were so long and thin, it was like skinny jeans were designed for his body. 

in contrast, Patton’s skin was warm and pink, his body so broad. His shoulders were wide and his stomach showed just a little bit of tone. He had strong arms and wide hips that sat on thick thighs.

The four of them stood there silently for a moment before Roman finally smirked and reached forward to poke Virgil’s stomach. Virgil was taken aback a moment and suddenly all eyes were on Roman.

“How in the world are you this thin? You’ve eaten like 37 cookies in the last 45 minutes!” Roman laughed and jerked his thumb toward Patton. “With a pastry chef brother you makes you your favorites, no less!” A smile spread across Virgil’s face as he shrugged and laughed.

“Right?! I’ve been trying to get some weight on this skeleton for years!” Patton patted Virgil hard on the back of the shoulder as the two awkwardly put their shirts back on.

The four laughed and moved back to the table, cleaning up the game as Virgil and Patton had tied for the victory. They played another couple games, including some strategy ones that had Logan completely falling for Patton over and over again. He never expected this adorable giant to be as intelligent and strategic as he proved to be. They eventually played in teams a few times, and no team won as intensely as the team of Patton and Logan. Patton had an intuition of what Logan would need him to accomplish, even in games where they weren’t allowed to speak to strategize, that surprised everyone. He, of course, just shrugged and said it had something to do with working in a kitchen for so long.

Far too soon for their liking, it was getting late and they needed to start heading home. Patton gathered up his mostly empty dessert containers and then turned to everyone.

“I had such a fun day today! It’s too bad it’s over…” He trailed off sadly, but perked up a moment later. “Oh! I know! Do you guys want to come over to my place tomorrow? We can swim and I have a barbecue!” Patton smiled.

“I am free tomorrow.” Logan piped up, instantly turning pink at his immediate response.

“I can barbecue.” Virgil and Roman both said in unison, they looked at each other with a hint of competitiveness glinting in their eyes.

“Great! I’ll text you guys my address! Don’t forget your swim suits! And lots of sunscreen for you, Kiddo.” He laughed and lightly jabbed Virgil with his elbow. He then shyly turned to Logan.

“Umm.. If it’s ok.. Can I get your phone number? Uh.. To.. Text you my address?” Patton held out his phone to Logan.

“Of course! I mean… Uh.. Affirmative. That would be an intelligent course of action.” Logan gently took the phone and added his phone number in it. They were once again trapped in their staring match when Roman snagged the phone from Logan.

“Annnd here’s mine! Don’t forget me, you big ol’ Teddy bear.” Roman smiled and handed the phone back to Patton.

“Uh.. Thanks! I’ll text you both when I get home so you have my number, thanks for having us over today!” Patton smiled and began taking his containers out to the car. Virgil turned and looked at Logan.

“It was great meeting you, I’m sure i’ll see you around… Often.” He smirked and followed after his brother, Logan’s face as red as a beet.

“…Told you he’d be cute. See you tomorrow, Giant Slayer.” Roman chided as he gave his stunned brother a quick hug and fled out the door to catch up to the others.

Logan tossed himself down on his couch and, in a very Roman-like moment of drama, he placed one hand on his chest to feel his heart beating out of control and used the other to fan his face like he was the star actress in a soap opera.

_Oh man… Feelings._


	6. Patton's House

Patton drove home, his heart racing. He didn’t know what it was about Logan… But there was just something about him. And Patton wasn’t stupid. He could be naive at times, sure, but feelings were something he understood better than most. He knew Logan felt it too, even if Logan himself wasn’t quite understanding it.

Patton arrived home, throwing his plastic containers in the sink to deal with later and he went straight up to his room. He laid down on his extra tall, extra long King sized bed and stared at his phone. He smiled a little at his two new contacts. Roman was a fellow lover of emojis, it seemed.

*Unknown Contact* Heya Kiddo! Here is my number and address, just wanted to say it was great meeting you today!

🌟Roman🌟: Hi Patton! I’ll save your contact right now! Can’t wait for tomorrow, thanks for all the great snacks.

Patton🐻⬆️: Anytime! And hey… I know I don’t need to say this… But be good to my brother ok?

There was a few minute pause as Patton awaited a response.

🌟Roman🌟: …I think I’ll be saying the same to you soon enough. 😁 See you tomorrow, Pat.

Patton’s face flushed and looked at the other contact in his phone. Logan had input his name so plainly. He would have to fix that.

*Unknown Contact* Hey Logan, here is my number.. Uh if you wanted to save it or anything. also, heres my address for tomorrow.. and stuff. Thanks for hosting us all today.

Logan💙💙: Hello Patton. I’ll save it for future reference. It was no trouble at all, thank you for inviting us all to your home tomorrow. I am very much looking forward to spending more time with… everyone.

Patton couldn’t help but laugh internally at Logan’s robotic language. It seemed to fit him quite well. He couldn’t get Logan out of his mind, and if he wasn’t being honest, he really wasn’t trying to. He let his hands fall upon and then drag down his face, feeling how pink and warm his cheeks were.

/ _Goodness gracious… I can’t remember ever feeling this smitten… He even liked my caramel….. The Caramel!_ /

Patton popped up off his bed and ran back down to the kitchen, he had work to do. They do say the fastest way to a man’s heart is through the stomach, after all.

—

Roman and Virgil were immediately texting about their brothers from the moment they each had arrived home. Both of them seemed pretty on board with supporting them if they were interested in each other. Which, so far, seemed to be the case. But while they were texting each other… They were both also furiously googling how to barbecue. Neither of them honestly had ever tried before, but it seemed like they were both trying to step up and be impressive. Virgil mostly because it was his brother’s house, so it felt right to contribute. Roman wanted to impress his new boyfriend and his potential brother-in-law.

🖤Virgil🖤: Seriously, I’ve never seen Pat get so shy. It was kinda cute.  
Virgil was anxiously googling how to use a barbecue in the first place.

🌟Roman🌟: Oh man, Did you see the way that Lo’s eyes lit up when Pat knew those trivia answers? I thought he was gonna propose right then and there!  
Roman was trying to figure out what sides can be grilled. Potatoes? Potatoes, right?

🖤Virgil🖤: LMAO. Patton probably would have said yes. Oh man.. Imagine Pat proposing to Lo. They’d probably be the same size if he was kneeling.  
_/Wait. There are different kinds of steaks? WHY?!/_

🌟Roman🌟: Aww it would be so adorable though!  
/ _Macaroni? Beans? YOU CAN’T PUT THOSE ON A GRILL!_ /

🖤Virgil🖤: They’d both melt into a puddle on the floor.  
_/Dry rub? Why is it dry? I have to rub meat? heh heh.. rub meat. I’m so immature./_

🌟Roman🌟: So uh… Whatcha thinking about grilling tomorrow?  
/ _Vegetables make sense. Wait people grill fruit? Is that good? Should I do that?/_

🖤Virgil🖤: Oh you know.. My famous filets! And some… Potato wedges.   
_/WHY IS THIS SO NERVEWRACKING?/_

🌟Roman🌟: Oh, famous huh? Well i’m gonna make some amaaazing sirloin… With vegetables and.. fruit skewers.  
_/What am I even saying anymore?/_

🖤Virgil🖤: Amazing? Well maybe we will just have to see who’s is the best!  
_/Why am I doing this? Someone stop me./_

🌟Roman🌟: Oh I never back down from a challenge! I’m going to wipe the floor with you, lover boy!  
_/Bad plan bad plan bad plan._ /

🖤Virgil🖤: Well we will just have to let Logan be the judge of that!  
_/I hope I don’t burn my brother’s house down…/_

🌟Roman🌟: Why just Logan? Why not Patton?  
_/This will probably be a disaster./_

🖤Virgil🖤: …Patton likes everything.

🌟Roman🌟: …Fair point.

—

The next morning Patton awoke groggily to his alarm, he hadn’t gotten too much sleep the previous night. He was up rather late baking away. He had made multiple batches of the caramel but he marbled in some different shades of blue, several of the cookies he had told Logan about the day before, of course about a million of Virgil’s purple peanut butter cookies, and he made some brownies with swirling red frosting. Those had seemed to be Roman’s favorite from the day before.

He went and ran his fingers through his hair to tame it from sleep and changed into his swimsuit. He pulled up his light blue trunks, which were a bit too short for him but he was accustomed to that by now, and found them a little snug around the thighs and butt. Turning to check his reflection he chuckled at how big his butt looked in his bathing suit.

“Well… Virgil may be the skinny one, but I got alllll the curves.” He laughed and finger gunned his reflection as he went down to get the house and backyard ready for company.

—

Virgil arrived to the house first, multiple grocery bags in his hands.

“Pat! Do you know how to use a barbecue?!” He yelled as he bust through the front door of his brother’s home.

“Uh.. Kiddo. It is my barbecue. Yes, I know how to use it.” Patton seemed perplexed. He honestly wasn’t expecting Virgil to volunteer to cook, seeing as he was the one whose spent all that time in culinary school. Sure he specialized in pastry arts, but he still had much more knowledge of cooking in general that Virgil did. He wasn’t even completely sure what, or even if, Virgil ate on a regular basis.

“Roman and I bo-“ He began but there was a knock on the door. Patton moved to the door and looked through the peephole, but no one seemed to be there.

“Hey there’s no—Oh you know what? I bet it’s Roman.” Patton opened the door to see the smaller Towers brother standing by his door.

“Welcome Kiddo! I’m so glad you found the place alright!”

“…Your’s is the only one with 10 foot tall double doors for a front entrance, Pat.” Roman said, in awe of the space he was standing in. Pat paused a moment and looked at the doorway they were currently in.

“…I suppose you are right. Well, I had to have a lot of work done to this place. Don’t want to worry about hitting your head in your own house.” He smiled and gestured Roman into the home.

Roman took two steps inside and immediately paused. The home was beautiful.. And looked like something out of a movie where the main character was shrunk and running around a regular house. The ceilings were all vaulted, giving the front room the feeling that it was even bigger than it already was. There was also a grand staircase leading upwards to a second story and all of the doorways he could see from where he was standing were at least 8 or 9 feet tall and extra wide. All the furniture seemed to have taller than average legs, and any art on the walls as above his eye level.

“I mean.. It makes sense. Your home is lovely by the way.” Roman finally spoke, trying to take in his surroundings.

“Aww thank you so much, Kiddo!” Patton smiled and then turned back to Virgil. “So, what was it you were asking me, Kiddo?”  Virgil stopped dead in his tracks, he couldn’t get any help from Pat with Roman here.. It would blow his cover.

“Uh… Just.. that… Where can I put all my food stuff before you are ready for me to cook it?” Virgil put on a fake confident face that Patton saw through instantly and made Roman more than a little suspicious.

“The.. Fridge is fine?” Patton raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms, not sure what Virgil was up to.

“Oh! Uh.. Can I put my food in there too?” Roman piped up, he had a few grocery bags behind his back as well.

“Of course, just find some space.” Patton gestured to the kitchen and Roman ran in, once again marveling at how big everything was. The cabinets were up so high and it even seemed like his countertops were raised up. They opened the fridge and every shelf that was at Roman’s eye level or higher was full, but the ones near the bottom were bare. Roman smirked and easily put all of his things on the very bottom shelf, adding Virgil’s down low for him as well.

There was another knock at the door and Patton’s heart immediately began racing. He looked at Virgil and Roman with wide eyes and they both just gestured to the front of the house. Patton almost skipped off to the front, pulling the door open wide and finding Logan standing there.

“Logan! I’m so ha- Uhh glad you could make it. Did you have an easy time finding the place?” He smiled. Logan’s cheeks were tinged pink as he looked up at the gorgeous giant standing in the enormous doorway.

“Uhh.. Hello, Patton. I… It wasn’t really any trouble. I also saw the large doorway and made the assumption this was your home.” He gestured to huge doors.

“Ah, Roman said the same thing. I never really thought about it.” Patton shrugged and laughed and was about to step back to let Logan in, when Logan stepped forward and opened his arms tentatively for a hug. Based on the interaction from yesterday, Logan had gathered this was Patton’s preferred greeting. Patton almost couldn’t believe his eyes or contain his excitement. He leaned down and gave Logan a welcoming hug, completely forgetting the lesson he learned yesterday with Roman.

He squeezed Logan tight and straightened his back to give Logan the best hug he could, once again completely forgetting that he had over a foot of height on the person he was giving his affection to. Logan didn’t complain or even make a sound, allowing Patton to show him all the care he wanted. Patton didn’t notice until after several moments when he loosened his grip slightly and he saw that Logan was at his eye level. Patton’s face turned as red as a fire engine, and he gently placed Logan back on the floor.

“I’m… I’m so sorry… I just… I forget that.. I..” Pat stammered and jumped back out of the doorway a little, hoping he didn’t make Logan angry.

“You give very nice hugs, Patton.” Logan smiled and entered the house, closing the door lightly behind him. “Oh wow, your home is exquisite.” Logan looked all around him, taking in the sights.

“Uh… th-thank you… uh… Virgil and Roman are in the kitchen…” Patton was still as red as he could be. Logan just smiled, his eyes twinkling, as he nodded and walked forward to where he could hear both his and Patton’s brothers bickering. Patton took a few moments to compose himself, joining the others in his kitchen once his face didn’t feel like an oven any longer.

“Well I know that you are just going to love my steaks!”  
“They won’t even have room for your steaks because they are going to be full on mine!”  
“Psh you don’t even know what you are talking about!”  
“It’s YOU who doesn’t know what YOU are talking about!”

“Alright… Let’s go outside then and just let you guys settle this.” Patton stepped in between Virgil and Roman, pushing them both outside into the backyard with Logan following close behind. Virgil had been in Patton’s backyard plenty of times, but the other two were in awe. It was gorgeous. His yard was simply enormous. There was a huge patch of grass off on the left side, with flowers and a big tree in the corner of the yard. He had fruit bushes lining the edge of the grass, and under an awning there was a full set of outdoor dining furniture. On the right was a gorgeous pool, designed to look like an almost natural rock formation that created a pond. It had an attached jacuzzi that had a small waterfall that flowed into the main pool. There were also big comfy looking pool chairs that sat around the edge under umbrellas.

“Wow…” Logan said quietly under his breath. Patton shot Logan and appreciative glance but focused on pushing the other two over to his huge built in grill area between the grass and the pool.

“Stay.” Patton ordered, his voice weirdly parental in a way that the other two didn’t dare move.  He jogged back inside and came out with all the grocery bags on one arm, multiple bottles of sunscreen in that hand, and was dragging along a cooler with his other. “Here. Now cook. Put your food where our mouths are.” He laughed as he placed all the bags down on one of the prep areas of the grill station. He also glanced at the sunscreen he was holding and handed a bottle to each of them. “For the pale kiddo, waterproof SPF 100 specially formulated for ‘sensitive skin.’ And for the lil kiddo, waterproof SPF 50 active.” He smiled and walked away, Virgil rolling his eyes at the bottle that was obviously designed to be used on toddlers.

Patton trotted over to Logan, pulling the cooler behind him. He tossed another bottle of sunscreen at Logan and placed the cooler between two chairs.

“Might as well get comfortable.” Patton shrugged and pulled his shirt off, beginning to rub sunscreen on his arms and chest. Logan slowly did the same, tossing his polo on the chair and working on his legs. Patton stole a glance at Logan. He was on the thin side, although a much more average and healthy weight than Virgil was. At least you couldn’t Logan’s bones… Anyway. His skin seemed soft and smooth which wasn’t too surprising honestly, Logan didn’t seem like the type to spend a lot of time outdoors, especially without a shirt on.

They made relatively quick work of sunscreen until Patton turned to Logan with a blush.

“Hey uh.. Logan? Could I ask for a little help getting my shoulders?” His cheeks only darkened in color.

“Of course Patton. I would be uh.. more than happy to assist you.” Logan walked closer to Patton, who quickly sat down on the edge of the chairs to bring his broad shoulders closer to Logan’s height. Logan softly ran his hands across all the spots that Patton couldn’t reach, making sure to also get his neck. Patton could feel his skin tingling with electricity but did his best to stay calm. As Logan finished, Patton removed his glasses and sat them down, rubbing sunscreen on his face.

“Is this all rubbed in? I don’t want to get sunscreen all over my glasses.” Logan walked around to Patton’s front, seeing him sitting there staring forward with unfocused eyes. Unfocused… beautiful green eyes.

“Umm.. not quite. Let me get it.” He gently rubbed in the white spots of sunscreen left on Patton’s cheek and above his eyes. Making sure it was fully incorporated and his smattering of freckles across his face were visible.

“Thank you, I’m completely blind without my glasses.. I can barely see you in front of me. You are just a big… beige shape.” Patton laughed, grabbing his glasses once more and bringing the world into focus.

“I know the feeling. I can barely see a few inches in front of my face without mine.” Logan tapped his own spectacles knowingly. “Um, can I ask you the same favor?” Logan blushed and of course Pat obliged and made sure that Logan was expertly covered in the skin protecting cream.

They sat down in the chairs and they both grabbed water bottles from the cooler. Looking up at Virgil and Roman, it seemed as though they had at least managed to get the barbecue on, which was honestly more than Logan and Patton really expected out of their brothers.

“Has.. Has he ever barbecued before?” Patton turned to Logan and raised an eyebrow.

“Not that I am at all aware of. Has Virgil?” Logan inquired.

“Fairly positive he hasn’t.”

“Well… They are just competing to outdo each other at this point, aren’t they.”

“It would appear so.”

“….Ten bucks on Virgil.”

“But.. Roman is your brother.”

“Oh, I know.”


	7. Pool Party

Logan and Patton just kind of stared in awe at Virgil and Roman. Now that the two of them realized that neither of their brothers really had any idea what they were doing, this entire event had just become comedy.

Virgil and Roman were arguing if they were supposed to be using spatulas or tongs to flip the steaks, how to tell if they were cooked enough, how cooked they should be, whether or not either of their “secret spice mixes” were any good, why their’s was better…. It went on and on. It also seemed like Virgil had turned up the heat on the grill without Roman noticing and while he was doing that, Roman was loosening the lids on Virgil’s seasonings. Roman’s steaks weren’t holding up well to the heat and Virgil’s potatoes seemed to be about 90 percent salt when the lid fell off his shaker. The continued on.. Bickering and subtle sabotaging as they went.

“You know, this is kinda cute.”

“How on Earth did you come to that conclusion?”

“Well. Neither of them have any idea what they are talking about… But they are competing to.. Sorta do something nice? They are trying to impress each other and us.” Patton shrugged.

“….What if they ruin all of the food?”

“Psh. Have you looked at me? I have plenty of food in case they end up with nothing.” Patton laughed his deep laugh and playfully and lightly slapped Logan on the shoulder. Logan blushed.

“I have definitely been looking at you.” Logan mumbled under his breath.

“What was that, Logan?” Patton asked sincerely.

“Uhh… So do you cook a lot?” Logan deflected.

The two of them made casual conversation for a while until it actually began to smell like food. They turned to look at their brothers, noticing they weren’t arguing anymore and actually looked like they might actually been having a good time.

“…Should I go check on them? I mean… We should probably find out if there is going to be food or if I should start cooking.” Patton looked a little concerned but Logan just shrugged.

“…It’s not a bad idea.” They both chuckled a little and Patton stood to head over. Logan’s cheeks flushed once more, sitting near a standing up Patton was quite a sight. It was like looking up at a mountain from the base.

Patton wandered his way over to the grill and the two seemed to be laughing and having fun.

“How is it going Kiddos?” Patton smiled, looking at what they had on the grill.

“Surprisingly well.” Virgil said with a side smile.

“Surprisingly?” Patton raised an eyebrow and smirked. “I thought you two were both masters at this?” Virgil and Roman both glanced at each other.

“Well… Maybe not exactly masters… But not half bad either!” Roman smiled, looking at the grill.

Patton surveyed what he was looking at. It seemed like about half the steaks and half the sides they had started with were still going strong.

“…Can I ask what happened to the rest?”

“Well… Roman’s steaks all burned into terrible little chunks of coal.” Virgil gestured to a trash bag which appeared to full of black rocks.

“Virgil’s potatoes just kinda… disintegrated.” Roman laughed and pointed to another bag… Full of sand?

“But… His veggies all are coming out really good!” Virgil smiled at Roman.

“And his steaks look and smell divine!” Roman smiled back at Virgil.

“Awww, you two! I’m so proud!” Patton beamed and pulled both of them in at his sides and ruffled their hair.

“Thanks, Pat! Food should be ready in just a minute!” Roman looked beyond proud of himself.

“Thanks.” Virgil said quietly with a blush.

* * *

The food didn’t take too much longer and they soon all sat down to eat their meals. The food was surprisingly delicious, eliciting a huge confidence boost in Roman and a shy pride in Virgil. Once they finished, Patton ran inside and grabbed his desserts.

“Whoa Pat, you got all of this done last night? You must have been up late!” Virgil smiled, immediately snagging a cookie.

“Awww you made brownies for me? Thats so kind of you!” Roman smiled and grabbed one of the red-frosted treats, not realizing that Patton had even noticed his taste for them the day before.

“These caramels are delicious and the color is quite vibrant.” Logan added, looking at the marbled blue treats.

“Aww you guys… You are making me blush.” Patton’s face was tinged pink. “It was really no problem.”

The four of them hung out around the table, chatting and finishing their lunches until Roman stood and just about ripped his shirt right off.

“Well! Let’s swim!” Roman beamed, flexing his pecs and arms. Virgil flushed a bit, Roman was the only one of them who really had any noticeable muscles. He was small, but he was definitely defined. Virgil tried to hide how he instinctively bit his lip by raising his hand to his face for a moment. He then pulled his shirt off as well, mostly because he was the only one still wearing one.

“Hey, you two get sunscreen on! Roman, make sure you lather it thick on my lil bro. He’s as pale can be.” Patton smiled and stood to walk over to the pool.

“Will do, Pat!” Roman called, grabbing that pink toddler sunscreen that Patton had given them. “Come on over here, Snow White.” Virgil rolled his eyes and sat on the edge of his chair so Roman could do his back while he worked on his arms and legs.

Logan wandered after Patton, looking closely at the pool then back up at Patton, then back at the pool again. Patton noticed his pondering.

“Is something the matter, Logan?” Patton looked concerned.

“Oh no. I was just wondering… With how tall you are… How deep is your pool?” Logan asked.

“It’s around…” Patton leapt into the pool with a sizable splash and sank straight to the bottom. Logan could barely make out what he was doing but it looked like he was reaching up with his hand to see if he could break the surface. Patton sprang back up after a second and his head broke the surface of the water with a smile. “I think about 13 feet? Maybe 14?” He chuckled as he wiped some water off his glasses.

“That is quite deep.” Logan said, bemused.

“Well, it has to be! Or else I can’t do this!” Virgil called from a few feet back. Everyone turned their attention to the pale giant who ran toward the pool and did an elegant dive from the edge. He popped up after a moment with a laugh.

“Here I come!” Roman called next and did a cannon ball into the water creating a rather small splash. Virgil laughed and dove down into the water and snagged Roman on his ascent. He came up with Roman cradled in his arms.

“I didn’t want to lose you down there, you sink like a… little stone.” Virgil laughed. Roman playfully splashed Virgil.

“Hey! I’m not a little stone! I’m a… Very robust… Pebble? Aw man… That isn’t better is it?” Roman pouted.

“Don’t worry robust pebble, I’ll help you out.” Virgil swam to the slightly shallower section of water so he could stand. He dunked himself underwater and came up under Roman so he was sitting on his shoulders. “Now you are the biggest!” Virgil laughed.

“…I could get used to being up here.” Roman smiled. “Now charge my alabaster steed!” Virgil rolled his eyes.

“…What?” Virgil groaned.

“Shush steed!” Roman laughed and pointed to Logan who still hadn’t gotten in the water. “Fellow knight! Mount your steed and joust with me!” Patton and Logan instantly turned a bit pinker.

“…I think he means me? Come on Logan, let’s take these two down.” Patton smiled, his eyes twinkling. Logan stepped into the pool silently and popped up near Patton. The taller one grabbed his hand and pulled him to the shallower end before dunking under and letting Logan sit on his shoulders before coming back up. “Wow, Logan you are so light.” Patton laughed.

“He’s the lightest of all of us. But me… I’m 167 pounds of muscular fury!” Roman pulled his feet up to Virgil’s shoulders and then pushed off of him, diving forward and tackling Logan right off of Patton’s shoulders. Patton had instinctively ducked, which unfortunately for Logan meant it was only easier for Roman to knock him back into the water. For a brief moment Virgil and Patton just stood and looked at each other, unsure what had just happened.

The two rose up from the water shortly, Roman laughing as soon as he had air back in his lungs and Logan scowling and shaking water from his glasses.

“I am victorious!” Roman cheered.

“That isn’t how this game works!” Logan angrily responded.

“…Maybe we should switch the teams.” Virgil slowly spoke. Roman turned to Virgil to question his motives but Roman noticed a glint in his eye that spoke volumes.

“Why is that, Virgil?” Logan asked.

“Well. I’m about 4 inches shorter than Patton. Roman is about 5 inches shorter than you. I think this will even out the teams. Right now we have the two shorter brothers against the two taller brothers.” He shrugged, doing his best to look nonchalant. Patton could tell he was up to something… But he wasn’t sure what. Virgil only got that look in his eye when he was scheming.

“Makes sense to me!” Roman smiled and swam towards Patton. “Now I’ll be even taller!”

“Psh… Don’t get used to it, robust pebble.” Virgil rolled his eyes playfully and Roman stuck his tongue out. “Come on over here, Logan.”

“Alright.” Logan came over to Virgil and the two Small brothers dunked and scooped up the two Towers brothers.

“…Patton is right. You are pretty light, Logan.” Virgil chuckled as he walked toward Patton.

Roman and Logan locked hands, trying to knock each other over. Virgil and Patton tried to be sturdy bases, but Patton had a serious advantage in that department. After a few moments of their fight Virgil tipped backwards pretty far, threatening to knock their team over. As he teetered forward again, trying to compensate for how far back they had swayed, he ‘tripped’ and fell to his knees underwater… Sending Logan flying forward towards Patton. Patton instinctively reached out to catch Logan but he was falling too fast. He did manage to just catch him, but their faces were only about an inch apart. They looked into each other’s eyes, getting lost in the other’s gaze. In a flash of bravery, Logan gently raised his hands and placed them on either side of Patton’s face. Their cheeks were darkening but it didn’t stop both of them from closing their eyes as Logan slowly pulled Patton’s mouth to his.

Patton tentatively wrapped his arms around Logan rather than just holding him up the way he had been. They were so lost in the moment, so focused on each other… They didn’t notice Virgil sneaking around behind them and snagging Roman right off of Patton’s shoulders. Roman and Virgil shared a silent fist bump and quick kiss as they snuck off quietly. By the time that Patton and Logan pulled away and they were just looking at each other with pink cheeks and wide eyes… Virgil and Roman were back at the snacks.

“Woo!!” Roman called, only causing the two in the pool to blush more deeply.

“Ooo ahhh shhhhoooo quuuuuuue.” Virgil added, cookies jammed in his face. Patton did a minor face palm at Virgil’s weakness for cookies but didn’t comment. The two in the pool slowly walked out to join the two at the snacks, shyly holding hands.

“Do you always talk with your mouth full?” Roman groaned, looking up at Virgil.

“Ooonwee wifff ooookeeees.” He shrugged. Patton rolled his eyes.

“Yeah… Pros and cons to making him these cookies… One of the very few things he doesn’t seem to be able to maintain his self control with.” Patton smiled. His cheeks were still flushed but he was happy no one mentioned how he was still holding hands with Logan. Luckily, Roman and Virgil seemed very supportive, especially when you considered how their kiss happened in the first place. Logan and Patton couldn’t help but be thankful for their impulsive brothers. Roman and Virgil didn’t even seem to be paying attention. Roman was scowling at Virgil and Virgil… Well, Virgil was just eating.

“Hey, your makeup is running all over your face, Jack Skellington.” Roman commented, the others looking over and noticing the black makeup running down Virgil’s cheeks. Virgil just sort of shrugged and plopped down in a chair. Roman grabbed a napkin and began wiping off all the runny black mess. As he wiped it away he was infatuated with Virgil’s face. He had always found him attractive, but this was the first time he had seen his smooth pale skin completely bare.

“What are you staring at? Is my makeup that bad?” Virgil swallowed, a little concerned as he saw Roman’s eyes laser focused on his face.

“Oh no… I’ve just uh…” Roman blushed a bit. “I’ve never seen your face clear before.” Virgil smiled a bit.

“Oh that. Eh, its just more of the same pale skin and bones.” He smiled. “Anyway! Hey! Aren’t we having a pool party?” He smiled and popped out of his chair. He scooped Roman up and headed back over to the pool. Virgil threw his, moderately protesting, boyfriend into the water and jumped in after him. Logan and Patton smiled and looked up at each other. Patton suddenly smirked.

“Well… Your turn, Lo.” Pat pulled Logan in and easily picked up him, also running over to the water and tossing him in. Virgil and Roman were cackling laughing in the water as they saw Logan easily fly into the pool. This time, however, he came up with a laugh and smile. Patton took a running leap and cannonballed into the water, sending everyone floating off in different directions with a huge wave of water. The pool was like the ocean for a few moments as the waves from Pat’s entrance tried to settle back down.

They spent the rest of the day playing around in the water. Plenty of roughhousing and lots of fun and games were had, including several instances of Roman trying to prove he could lift Virgil the same way Virgil could lift him. It turned out that he actually could, but Virgil had to be very willing to be scooped up and he had to pull himself in as tightly as possible or his feet and/or head would drag on the floor. Nonetheless, Roman was proud.

Virgil and Roman left a little after the sun had gone down, giving Patton and Logan the opportunity to have a private goodbye.

“…So..” Patton began, looking at Logan standing in front of his front door.

“Umm… I had a lovely day today Patton. Thank you for having us over to your home.” Logan said, his tone defaulting to plain as his cheeks continued to darken.

“Oh uh… Of course. I had a really great day as well… I hope to have more… A lot like this.” Patton stumbled a bit over his words. Logan couldn’t help but find him incredibly endearing.

“I… Well. Next time we see each other, maybe it could be just the two of us.” Logan said, slightly less confidence in his voice. Patton’s eyes lit up and he just nodded several times.

“I… I would love that.”

“So would I. I’ll… Send you a text when I arrive home.. It seems only logical to inform someone that I have made it to my destination safely… Especially my… Boyfriend?” Logan’s sentence trailed off into a very nervous sounding question, looking up at Patton like he was worried he would shatter him right there. Patton’s eyes became a bit shinier and he rushed forward and hugged Logan tight before planting a kiss on top of his head.

“Yes. I think your boyfriend would enjoy that very much.” The two shared another gentle kiss just before Logan left to head home.

Patton softly closed the door and leaned up against it for a moment, trying to calm his heart and his breathing.

Logan was sitting his car, silently leaned back in his seat with his eyes shut, calming himself down before he attempted to drive anywhere.

_My boyfriend…_


	8. A Day In

Virgil rolled over in his bed and glanced at the time, it was nearly noon. He had crashed pretty hard the night before, being in the sun tended to do that to him. Grabbing his phone, he noticed his messages. He had one from Patton from around midnight the night before and one from Roman from about 10 minutes ago.

BIG BRO🐶: I was kissed tonight and the world is magical.

🌟Roman🌟: You busy today?

He was still pretty groggy but managed to text his brother a congratulations and to vaguely convey to his boyfriend that he was free the whole day if he wanted to come over and hang out. He apparently had fallen back asleep because he awoke about an hour later to his doorbell. Checking his phone once again, he found 5 messages.

🌟Roman🌟: That sounds great! I’ll get some stuff together and head over in about half an hour!  
🌟Roman🌟: Can you send me your address?   
🌟Roman🌟: ….Virge? Did you fall back asleep?  
🌟Roman🌟: Come on, you Sleeping Siren…  
🌟Roman🌟: Nevermind. I’ll figure it out.

Virgil rolled out of his bed and wandered to the front door. He vaguely looked through the peephole and didn’t see anyone there. Pulling the door open, he found Roman wearing a big backpack and holding a bag. Roman opened his mouth to make a playful remark but his voice caught in his throat as he surveyed the sight before him.

His tall boyfriend was standing there before him, shirtless, with only black pajama pants on. They were somehow both too big and too small for him. The drawstring was pulled tight and knotted several times but the pants still barely clung to his thin hips, sitting just below his protruding hip bones. They also didn’t come close to reaching the floor, making them more of pajama Capri pants. Roman’s eyes trailed up, looking at Virgil’s face. His eyes were barely open and groggy, his hair all over the place, and of course, a trail of dried spit down the side of his mouth.

“Oh… Sweetie.” Roman smiled and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. He dropped his bag in the doorway of the kitchen that was just inside the front door. He gently grabbed the tired giant’s hand and lead him to his own couch.

“Hmm?” Virgil managed as Roman sat him down.

“I’m guessing you need coffee… How do you take your’s?” Roman asked as he made his way back to the kitchen and found the coffee pot. He put the coffee on and he heard Virgil finally answer.

“Uhh… 3.”

“3… Spoonfuls of sugar?”

“…Yeah.”   
“Creamer?”

“MmmHmm.”

“How much?”

“Uhhh…”  
  
Roman chuckled a little to himself, it was becoming increasingly apparent that Virgil was not a morning person. Although, checking the time, it was officially an hour into the afternoon. He opened a cabinet, of course all the things in his kitchen were up high. Scampering onto the countertop, he pulled down the sugar and what he had to assume was Virgil’s favorite mug. Grabbing a second mug for himself, he hopped back down and made the coffees. He wandered back to the living room where he left the sleepy giant. Roman found Virgil sitting blearily on the couch, his shoulders slumped and his head leaned back.

“Here you go, sleepyhead. Have some liquid consciousness.” Roman handed Virgil the cup and snagged a blanket from the back of the couch and wrapped it around his shoulders.

“Thanks.” He took the cup and drank deeply, Roman’s eyes widening at his ability to drink something so hot. Once about half the coffee was gone, he sat the black MCR mug down on his coffee table. He stared off at nothing for a few minutes before blinking hard a few times and looking over at Roman. “…Hey. How long have you been here?”

“….How on Earth are you still alive?” Roman stared at him. Virgil just kind of smirked and shrugged.

“I honestly have no idea. You’d think my inability to function without coffee and the general fact that low-hanging light fixtures exist, that i’d have done myself in by now.” He laughed and picked up his mug again. Roman face palmed a little.

“Anyway… I’ve only been here long enough to sit you on the couch and make you that cup of coffee.” Roman laughed, picking up his own mug and blowing on the hot drink. “Also, how did that not burn the heck out of your mouth?”

“Well… When you rely on coffee to survive, you learn to deal with it the way it is as soon as its ready.” Virgil shrugged and downed the rest of his mug before standing. The blanket slipped off his shoulders and he only just then realized he was shirtless. His face got a little pink. “Uh… Do you have a plan for today? Should I go get dressed to like… Be outside?” He stammered, looking down at himself.

“Nah, were having a day in. Get comfy.” Roman smiled. He picked up his backpack and put it on the table, starting to dig through it as Virgil laughed and ascended the stairs to his bedroom.  

“Hey Ro! Do you want some socks? Or anything comfortable to wear?” Virgil called down the stairs.

“Socks sounds great! Thank you!”

Virgil came back down a minute later, having tossed on a purple tank and some black soft socks to lounge in. He threw a white pair of fuzzy socks to Roman who was already in a soft shirt and comfy lounge pants.

“Ooo, white? I didn’t think this was your color.” Roman laughed as he pulled the socks on. Virgil plopped next to him and put his foot next to Roman’s.

“Why do you think those are brand new and the black ones are barely soft anymore? They came in a pack.” Virgil laughed but Roman was staring at their feet. Virgil followed his gaze and looked down at his foot next to Roman’s. “Oh come on, you can’t keep being surprised by things like this. You have to have noticed that i’m giant by now.” He smirked.

“….I know…. But… Dude. Your feet.” Roman had lined up the back of his heel with Virgil’s, looking at how much bigger his feet were.

“Size 15, if you are curious. Makes it a pain to find the shoes I want in store. Usually have to order them.” Virgil added nonchalantly before standing back up and leaving to make himself another cup of coffee. He came back and rejoined Roman, taking another big sip. “So, what’s the plan?”

“Uh.. I brought movies! And I remember you mentioning you had some video games, i figured we could have a quiet day in. I brought some snacks and different things I thought would be fun.” Roman gestured to his backpack.

“Sounds like a good day to me, want to start with some games?” Virgil smiled at the idea of the cozy day in. Roman quickly nodded and Virgil walked over to his, frankly, massive television and turned it on. Grabbing two controllers for his Nintendo Switch he started naming off games he had for it. They decided on Mario Kart and Virgil set it up. They smiled gently at each other as they loaded up the game.

Of course, the smiles didn’t last long. They had already proven that they were competitive yesterday with the barbecuing, and Mario Kart was proving to be much more intense. There was no actual malice, but they still raced with everything they had. Luckily, or unfortunately depending on how you looked at it, the match up of Waluigi and Rose Gold Princess Peach was pretty evenly matched.

“DID YOU JUST HIT ME WITH A GREEN SHELL YOU LITTLE JERK?!”

“PAYBACK FOR ALL THOSE BANANA PEELS YOU VILLAIN!”

“OH THERE’S MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM!”

“BRING IT ON, BEANSTALK!”

At some point, Roman had the brilliant idea to try to block Virgil’s view of the screen. He scooted to the side and threw himself into’s Virgil’s lap.

“Ha!”

“Nice try, robust pebble.” Virgil chuckled from above him, resting his chin on the top of Roman’s head comfortably. He wrapped his arms around Roman and continued to race with ease.

“Gahhhh why are you so big?!” Roman laughed, pressing himself against Virgil’s chest.

“Don’t pretend you don’t love it.” Virgil chided, pulling him in closer.

They finished the race with light pink cheeks and neither of them moved for a bit after it was done.

“Uh… Wanna put a movie in? …I’ll order a pizza. Might be nice to unwind a bit after all that excitement.” Virgil asked after a while.

“Yeah, that sounds nice.” They slowly separated, Virgil pulling out his phone and Roman pulling movies out of his backpack. While Roman retrieved the DVDs he had brought along, Virgil placed the call. Once he hung up, Roman splayed out the movies.

“So… Big Disney fan?” Virgil laughed, looking at the options. Roman’s face went a bit red as he realized what selections he had grabbed.

“…Maybe. Is that… An issue?” Roman answered quietly. Virgil just chuckled and one arm hugged Roman around the shoulders.

“Nah, it’s all good. I like Disney… Secretly.” He laughed. “Although… My favorites are probably the ones you would assume.” He pulled Nightmare Before Christmas, Black Cauldron, Big Hero 6, Inside Out, and Moana.

“Moana was a surprise.” Roman chuckled.

“…I like the crab.”

They laughed a bit together as Roman picked Big Hero 6 and Virgil set up the movie. Once Virgil settled back down in his spot and the movie began, Roman looked over at him with a questioning look in his eyes. Virgil just smiled and spread his legs and arms a bit, Roman immediately taking the invitation and settling between his boyfriend’s long legs. He leaned his back against his chest and Virgil wrapped his arms around him.

They happily snuggled together as they watched their movie, enjoying their quiet afternoon. Big Hero 6 was a little over halfway through when the doorbell rang. The two of them reluctantly separated, allowing Virgil to pop up and grab the door. He returned momentarily with two pizza boxes. They sat next to each other, legs pressed up against one another’s while they ate their pizza. Once the movie finished, they switched to another and went back to cuddling on the couch.

Their day went mostly like this, just quietly snuggled together on the couch watching their selection of movies. By the time they made it to their fourth or fifth movie, Roman popped up and made two bowls of popcorn. One was just regular buttered popcorn, the other he called “S’mores Popcorn” which was a bowl of popcorn he had mixed with mini marshmallows and M&M’s.

Nightmare Before Christmas was going strong when Roman felt a little more weight leaning against him. They had been sitting side by side with Virgil’s arm wrapped around Roman’s shoulder, but Virgil’s arm had drooped a little and he was slowly falling over towards Roman. The shorter man gently grabbed Virgil’s arm and pulled it off his shoulder, letting it rest in Virgil’s lap. Roman then wrapped his own arm around Virgil and pulled him close. The Emo’s eyes were dropping a bit and he pulled his legs up on the couch and curled into Roman’s side.

This entire action was incredibly endearing to Roman… But the more Virgil dozed off, the more of his weight he leaned against him. Roman was strong enough to lift the skinny giant, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t still heavy. He guessed he was somewhere around 200 pounds, based strictly on his height. He would have to ask him later… When he wasn’t officially asleep on him. Virgil continued to droop, his head laying upon Roman’s chest. Roman was pretty much stuck. This wasn’t so bad… He glanced up at the clock and noticed how late it was. Apparently… He was staying the night.

Roman lifted Virgil just a bit, turning himself sideways and putting his legs up on the couch a bit, around Virgil. In his sleep, Virgil wrapped his arms around Roman’s waist and he nestled his head into Roman’s chest. Roman felt his heart flutter a bit as he made himself as comfortable as he could and started to doze off himself. Virgil might have been just a little bit heavy, and Roman might have been just a little bit trapped, but he wouldn’t have changed that moment for the world.


	9. Teaching One Another

Patton could barely contain his excitement after Logan left, laying on his bed smiling to himself until he felt his phone buzz. He picked it up and read the message.

Logan💙💙: I arrived safely at home. Thank you again for a wonderful day.

Patton: I’m so glad you are safe! 😁😄 I had a wonderful day as well, thank you💙💙

Logan couldn’t help but smile at his phone, Patton was just so endearing and adorable. He wasn’t one for emoji usage… But having Patton’s name looking so plain in his contacts just didn’t feel right. He slowly chose an emoji he thought suited Pa- His boyfriend.

Logan💙💙: So, not to be too forward, but do you have any plans for tomorrow?

Patton😸: I was going to go to the farmer’s market and get a few things, but that’s all! How about you? 😃😁😊

Logan💙💙: Nothing actually. I have never been to a farmer’s market before. What is it like?

Patton😸: Oh it’s the best! The freshest ingredients, all local! People sell flowers and other great things too! But you have to go pretty early in the morning. I was going to leave my house around 8! If you want… I could pick you up on the way there and you could come with me? 😋😊🙂

Logan💙💙: Sounds interesting, I’d be happy to join you. I’ll see you tomorrow. :)

Patton😸: Perfect! It’s a date! 😁😋💙💚😍

Patton smiled and left his phone on his bed, taking a quick shower. After getting out and getting dressed, he went downstairs to clean up a bit and make sure the house was locked up. As he checked the front door he lingered a bit on the spot where he and Logan had shared their kiss. His cheeks immediately flushed a bit and he turned to walk back up the stairs. He climbed into bed, set an alarm, and sent a quick text to his brother:

BIG BRO🐶: I was kissed tonight and the world is magical.

Before promptly falling asleep.

* * *

Logan awoke to his alarm, groggily hitting snooze and rolling back over. 4 minutes later, another alarm, snooze. 4 minutes later, another alarm, snooze. 4 minutes later, another alarm, snooze.  
This cycle continued around 5 or so more times before Logan angrily dragged himself out of bed and to his kitchen. He groggily prepared himself a cup of coffee and dragged himself to his shower, multiple times reaching out of the shower to grab his mug for another sip. By the time he was finished with his shower, and coffee, he finally decided he was awake.   
Checking his phone he found a text from Patton, letting him know he had just left his house and was on his way to pick him up. Logan quickly got dressed in his black polo and dark jeans, deciding to leave his tie off for today. He had just finished brushing his teeth and running a brush through his hair when Patton texted him he was there. He grabbed his wallet, phone, and keys and went outside.  
He smiled to himself as he stepped out his front door and saw Patton’s huge light blue SUV. Logan quickly locked the door and made his way over. Pulling open the door to the passenger side, he locked eyes with his gorgeous Patton.

“Morning Lo!” Patton smiled, he was cheery and chipper even though it was only about 8:15 in the morning.

“Morning, Patton.” Logan smiled, climbing up into the large vehicle. Luckily it was the kind of SUV that had a little step that unfolded when the door opened.

“Alright, just get buckled in and we will head off to the farmer’s market!” Patton smiled and waited until Logan was settled before driving off.

The market wasn’t very far away, Patton parking and leading Logan in with him. Logan had assumed that Patton would get stares wherever he went, but this was far more than he expected. Almost no one looked past him. They either saw him and stared for several moments, or did a double take to look at him as though he couldn’t possibly be whatever they had seen the first time. He glanced up at Patton next to him and saw he was just casually walking through the crowd, a gentle smile on his face. Logan slowly reached out and grabbed Patton’s hand.

Patton paused a moment and looked down at Logan, intertwining their fingers. He gave Logan’s hand a gentle squeeze and continued to walk. Luckily for the two of them, Logan took very fast and short strides, while Patton’s were long and slow. It didn’t take long for them to fall into a rhythm that worked.

“Can I ask you a question?” Logan asked after a moment, slowing down to look up at Patton.

“Of course. Ask away!” Patton answered cheerily, stopping to make eye contact with Logan and giving his hand another squeeze.

“Does it bother you that people.. Stare? I mean.. I feel like just about everyone who has passed by you has done a double take.” Logan asked a bit nervously, hoping not to offend his boyfriend in some way. Patton just smiled and laughed his loud belly laugh, which only caused more people to pay attention to them.

“Lo… I’m almost 7 feet tall. Heck, I might be 7 feet tall. I haven’t been measured in a long while. But I’ve been big for a long time. I’m used to it. It really doesn’t bother me, you can’t blame people for being surprised. I am really not what people expect to suddenly see. If I got upset every time someone looked me for a few extra seconds, I would never have time to be happy again.” He smiled and shrugged.

“…You have such a beautiful outlook on the world, Patton.” Logan gently pulled on his hand until Patton realized what he was trying to do. He bent down and brought his head level to Logan’s who pulled him in for a kiss. They pulled away, still holding hands and continued on their way.

Patton lead Logan to several stalls, showing him the fresh fruit and vegetables, the gorgeous flowers, and the plethora of other items. Patton bought a few things here and there, it seemed most of the people he bought from knew him and knew mostly what he would be going for. It was no surprise, he was rather memorable.

“Alright, just one last spot I need to go and I’ll have everything I need.” Patton smiled and lead Logan down toward the far end. As they walked, something caused Logan to pause.

“Hmm?” Logan stopped walking to look at a stall set up in front of them. It was covered in pictures of fish and little facts about different sea life. Patton stopped to look as well, them both noticing that at the top of the canopy, the stall seemed to be advertising for a local aquarium.

“Oh this is cute! Look at all the little fish!” Patton smiled, stepping closer to the stall.

“Fish are fascinating, they have so many unique traits that humans do not possess in order to survive in their environments. Its truly intriguing.”

“…I don’t know anything about fish while they are still alive. I know a lot about… Preparing and cooking them, but that’s it.” Patton shrugged, looking at some more of the information stuck around the stall. Logan paused a moment and then turned back to his enormous boyfriend.

“Do you want to go to the aquarium? I could teach you more about them.” Logan asked, a little tentatively.

“That sounds amazing! I’d love that! But let me ask you, do you like fish? Like… To eat?” Patton smiled down at Logan.

“I haven’t had it many times, but i’ve enjoyed it the times that I have.” Logan answered, one eyebrow raised.

“Perfect. So you teach me what you know about fish and then i’ll teach you what I know about fish. Deal?” Patton smirked and held out his hand for Logan to shake. Logan laughed lightly and then shook Patton’s hand.

“Deal.”

Logan went and got more information about the aquarium while Patton made his way down to the stall he needed. He met Logan back at the kiosk with a huge bag in his hand. He, of course, put all his bags into one hand so he had a free hand to hold Logan’s. Logan just chuckled and took his free hand, walking together back to the car. Patton popped open the very back of the SUV and put his purchases into a large cooler he had in the back.

“Alright, everything should be fine back here for a few hours. Is that enough time?” Patton asked, closing his cooler and his hatchback.

“It should be. Have you ever been to an aquarium?” Logan asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Nope.” Patton just smiled and shrugged.

“….I’m fairly confident that you will really enjoy it.” Logan smiled.

* * *

Logan was correct. The moment they got their tickets and actually made it into the aquarium itself, Patton was in awe. Everything was just so beautiful. There were so many pretty and colorful fish! He was staring into the tanks looking at all of the different types of underwater environments. So far, the kelp forest was Patton’s favorite. It had the most types of different fish.

“Oooo, what is that one?!” He would point giddily at a fish and turn to Logan.

“That is a Garibaldi. It is bright orange to prevent predators from eating it. The color signifies to potential predators that it would not be very appetizing.” Logan would explain, happy to teach but even happier to have someone who was so interested in what he knew.

“That’s so cool! I didn’t know the color was so important! Oo what about that one?!” And the cycle would continue. Patton eagerly grabbed Logan’s hand and lead him into the next room. They found themselves in where they kept the sharks. The tanks on either side were connected by the top of the room, so they were surrounded by water with sharks swimming all around them. They silently observed for a moment.

“Oh, Patton. Did you see the baby?” Logan gestured to one area of the tank.

“A baby shark?! I want to see! Where?” Patton looked around but didn’t see it. Logan pulled Patton closer to the glass so they could look for it once more. They were focused on searching when a large shark quickly swam right next to the glass and startled them. Logan shifted back silently in surprise, but Patton made a soft yelp and before Logan realized what had happened, he felt a hand on each of his shoulders and something pressed against his back.

“….Pat?” Logan asked, peering behind him.

“…The shark scared me.” Patton straightened up a little, resting his chin on Logan’s head from behind. “Sorry about that..” Patton laughed but Logan could hear his embarrassment. Logan wrapped his arms behind him and did his best to encircle Patton a little.

“I promise to protect you, ok?” He smiled and tilted his head back, causing Patton to stand up a bit more so he could look down into his eyes. His face was still pink but his lips spread into a smile.

“Ok, I feel safer already.” Patton giggled a bit and planted a kiss on Logan’s forehead.

They decided to leave the shark exhibit and continue along. They saw plenty more interesting things, a bioluminescent room that showcased extremely deep sea creatures, a room dedicated to the coral reef, a room that just was full of sea turtles (another Patton favorite,) and a room full of strictly freshwater fish. The last spot on their aquarium adventure was the touch tank.

“…We get to touch fish?” Patton asked, a little excited as well as a little confused.

“Yes and no. Not really ‘fish’ exactly. Usually the touch tank contains manta rays and certain types of crabs.” Logan explained.

“…Can I ask a question?” Patton seemed suddenly very embarrassed.

“Of course.” Logan looked up at him, making sure his face was welcoming and not at all judgmental.

“Which… Which things are manta rays again?” Patton asked, very quietly.

“They are… Big gray squares.” Logan held up his hands to give an approximate size. Patton’s eyes flashed with realization.

“Oh… You mean the Sea Ravioli?” He asked, his voice still quiet. Logan had to do a quick mental tether to attach his mental picture of a manta ray to a ‘sea ravioli.’

“…Yes. I’m fairly certain. So. Let’s go pet some Sea Ravioli.” Logan couldn’t help but find Patton incredibly endearing. He was willing to learn and much smarter than one might assume. But he still had an adorable naivety to him. Patton just smiled with an obvious hint of appreciation across his expression.

They entered the room that contained the touch tank. There was an attendant there, looking down at a clipboard. As she heard their footsteps, she began her obviously rehearsed spiel before she looked up.

“Hello and Welcome to the Touch Tank! I’ll be your guide today to help you have the best experience with our be-” She looked up and saw Patton, faltering in her speech with her surprise. “- beautiful creatures.”

“Sounds great! Where do we start?” Patton asked, completely ignoring her surprise. She took a moment to compose herself.

“Um.. First! You need to rinse your hands in the sink over here, just water. Soap or hand sanitizer isn’t good for the animals.” She directed them over to the sink. Once they had done that she lead them to the tank and instructed them on the proper way to touch and interact with the mantas. They both listened intently and then made their way to the touch tank.

Patton smiled as he saw the mantas swimming around happily in the tank. He gently placed his hands in the water and waited. It didn’t take long before the mantas were swimming up to his hands and rubbing themselves against his palms. A few approached him and stopped, so he gently ran a finger down their spines as he was instructed.

“They are so soft!” Patton smiled, his eyes full of wonder. Logan could feel his heart beating hard in his chest, he wasn’t sure why Patton made him feel so… Much. But he just… Did and it was taking some getting used to.   
  
They stayed a while, Logan surprising even the attendant with his knowledge of the creatures. As they left they were able to finally wash their hands, but Logan decided to excuse himself to the restroom and Patton waited in the gift shop. He may or may not have made a secret purchase and ran out to the car to hide it before Logan found him, just making it back to the shop before Logan arrived. Either way, nothing was mentioned and they left the shop to head back to Patton’s.

* * *

They arrived home relatively quickly, the whole drive was spent discussing the interesting things they saw while they were there. Once they arrived, Patton carried in his bags from the farmer’s market that morning and they hung out together in the kitchen while Patton unpacked the bags. Once he got down to two bags, he turned to Logan.

“Ok, so now it’s my turn. I have something in here that I’m going to take care of, and I also have something I need you to take care of, alright?” Patton smiled, gesturing towards the two bags.

“Of course, I’ll help in any way I can.” Logan answered decisively.

“Great. I know I can count on you for this most important of tasks.” Patton nodded once and turned back to the bags. Out of the first one he pulled an enormous fresh salmon. “This is what I’m going to work on.” He then turned to the other bag and held it out to Logan. “This is for you.” Logan tentatively reached into the bag and was surprised when he found something soft. He pulled out a plush manta ray from the aquarium. Logan couldn’t help but smile from ear to ear. He slowly pulled the plush to his chest and hugged it.

“…I will call him Ravioli.” He chuckled. Patton gave one big laugh and nodded. He then turned to grab a knife from his knife block and began showing Logan how to properly cut and clean a fresh fish. He expertly cut the fish into several perfect filets, explaining everything that the different areas of the fish could be used for. He explained how it was best to use every part of the animal and how he utilized everything he possibly could.

They continued to talk, Logan asking many questions about the science behind cooking, which Patton was extremely knowledgable about. While they spoke, Patton expertly cooked the actual filets, as well as a side of mixed vegetables, and a fancy rice dish. By the time the food was ready, Logan’s stomach was rumbling and he was salivating at how good everything smelled. Patton served up some portions and Logan eagerly took his plate. They sat together at the table, digging into their meals.

“Oh wow… Patton this is delectable.” Logan said, taking a bite of his meal and eagerly going back for a second before Patton could even answer.

“Oh.. Well thank you.” Patton smiled, putting his hand on the back of neck in his brother’s famous nervous gesture and laughing a bit.

“Do you cook like this a lot?” Logan asked, every bite was astounding.

“Not really. I work most nights, so I eat at the restaurant a lot. But you know… Special occasions and stuff…” Patton’s cheeks were pink.

“Oh. Do you need to be at work tonight?” Logan suddenly wondered if their lovely day would have to end soon.

“No no. I’m the,” he raised his fingers in air quotes. “ ‘Executive Pastry Chef’ so I write my own schedule really. I don’t really need to be there unless something happens or they have a party or a catering job.” He shrugged. “I just used to go in every night because I didn’t really have anywhere else to be.”

“Oh well.. I just don’t want to keep you if you needed to go.” Logan added trailing off like he was preparing for Patton to tell him he needed to leave one he finished eating. Patton just chuckled a bit.

“Well… Now I have somewhere else I would rather be. Here… With you.” His cheeks darkened. “Do you uhh… Want to watch a movie or something after dinner?”

“I’d love to.” Logan smiled and went back to his food.

They didn’t take too much longer to finish their meals, Logan insisting on helping clean up all the dishes. Afterwards they settled on Patton’s huge couch, both of them tired from their long day and their full stomachs. They were comfortable sitting together, Logan up against Patton’s side with Patton’s arm wrapped around Logan’s shoulders.

Neither of them noticed when the other fell asleep, but that was something they’d probably have to work out in the morning.


	10. Coffee Addicts

Patton woke up the next morning, Logan still sleeping heavily against his side. The sight brought a smile to Patton’s face. He looked down at Logan for a moment before realizing that he probably couldn’t move without waking him. Without moving himself too much, Patton reached into his pocket and got his phone out. He scrolled through Facebook, killing time until either he came up with an idea of what to do or Logan woke up.

It wasn’t very long until his phone buzzed in his hand and he swiped over to his messages.

🌟Roman🌟: If, by some minuscule chance, you are in the same situation I am currently in… My brother requires obscene amounts of caffeine to get up in the morning… Although probably not as much as YOUR brother does…

Patton🐻⬆️: If by “same situation” you mean, “he fell asleep on me while we were watching movies last night and we have not moved since then” then yes. And thank you for the tip.

The next thing Patton received was a picture message from Roman. It was from Roman’s point of view and he could see that Virgil was laying long ways on the couch, his arms wrapped around Roman’s waist and his head was nestled into his stomach. Patton held back a laugh and used his long arms to take a selfie of his own predicament.

Roman saw the photo and smiled to himself, Logan had nestled himself up all the way up against Patton under his arm. His glasses were askew, his hair was all over the place, and his mouth was completely open.  

🌟Roman🌟: Oh my gosh, Lo looks adorable! Did you two have a good day yesterday?

Patton🐻⬆️: We had so much fun! Logan took me to the aquarium and taught me about fish! Then I taught him about how to cook fish haha

🌟Roman🌟: Aw thats so cute. Virgil and I had a quiet movie night in. Do you want to do something all together today?

Patton🐻⬆️: Oh that sounds great, do you have anything in mind? 😄

🌟Roman🌟: Wanna go to the trampoline park? I’ve been wanting to check it out for a long time.

Patton🐻⬆️: Oh, I’ve never been to one of those before. That sounds like fun! Only one thing we need to figure out first.

🌟Roman🌟: And what is that, Patton?

Patton🐻⬆️: What do we do with these two sleeping beauties?

🌟Roman🌟: Ah. Well, with Logan I’d recommend coffee. With milk and sugar. He won’t wake up if you move him. Wake him up gently though, he’s a grump in the morning.

Patton🐻⬆️: Virgil is a heavy sleeper, you should be fine to get up. Cream and sugar in the coffee. Stir in a sprinkle of cinnamon, a drop of vanilla, and some nutmeg if you find any, it’ll make the process faster. Let me know when he’s conscious 😁

🌟Roman🌟: Thanks for the tip. Will do.

Roman and Patton both slowly got out from under their two sleeping boyfriends, the two easily adjusting without waking, then setting off to the kitchens to make coffee.

—

Roman sat down on the floor next to couch and held the coffee cup below Virgil’s sleeping face. The strong smell of coffee had him slowly take a deep breath in and raise a hand to his face to wipe his eyes.

“Hmmm?” He said quietly, barely opening his eyes.

“Wakey wakey, sleepy head.” Roman said gently. “I have coffee for yoooou….”

Virgil slid his legs off the couch and somehow wobbled his body upright in a fluid motion. Roman would have still used the word ‘conscious’ loosely to describe his current state.  He tentatively handed Virgil the coffee, worried he might spill it. The essentially asleep giant easily took the cup and immediately raised it to his lips, drinking deeply. His eyes instantly opened.

“Pat?” He turned and found Roman sitting there.

“Nope, Sleeping Beauty. But I’ll take the compliment. No one has ever confused me with someone so tall before.” Roman laughed and plopped down next to Virgil.

“Pat always makes the coffee taste like Christmas. He won’t tell me how though. It tastes so good…” Virgil looked down at the cup. Roman just looked at him, unsure why it was such mystery, but he realized he was just let in on a longheld secret.

“Well I guess I’ll have to start making it for you then. Logan and Pat… Oh! I have pictures!” Roman pulled his phone out and scrolled to the picture. First showing Virgil the one of Logan mushed up against Pat, which illicited a laugh from both of them, then the one of Virgil sleeping on Roman. Virgil turned bright red.

“Sorry… Did I have you pinned?” Virgil asked quietly, hiding his face in his mug.

“Oh it’s no problem,” Roman laughed a bit and lightly patted Virgil on the shoulder. “I could have gotten up if I wanted, I just didn’t want to wake you. Although, I’ve since learned you don’t wake easily.” Virgil chuckled a little and nodded.

“I sleep like a log.” Virgil shrugged. “Always have.”

“How much do you weigh by the way? I mean… You were a little heavy, but nothing I couldn’t handle.”

“I hover around 190, usually a little under.” He shrugged.

“Isn’t that like… Not enough? I mean.. You have 18 inches on me… But only like 20 pounds.”

“I don’t know. The doctor has never said anything.” Virgil looked down at his now empty mug and shyly turned to Roman. “Could I… Bother you for another cup of Christmas?”

“Of course!” Roman snagged the mug and pulled his phone out, texting Patton that it worked like a charm, on his way back to the kitchen.

—

Patton approached Logan with the mug of coffee and crouched down infront of the couch.

“Logaaan…. Loooogaaaaaan….” Patton gently cooed, lightly placing a hand on Logan’s knee.

“Nnngggh…” Logan groaned quietly, turning away from the source of the sound.

“Looooooogaaaann…. It’s time to wake up, Mr. Grumpy Gills…” He spoke just as gently but with a bit more volume.

“Nnnnoooo…” Logan gently spoke, still fighting consciousness.

“Yeeeeeeeeeees…. We’re gonna wake up now.” Patton giggled a little at how cute Logan was in his attempt to stay asleep. “I have coffee for you…”

Logan barely opened his eyes and turned to Patton, his face still a mixture of sleep and a little bit of contempt for having to rejoin the waking world. It softened when he realized it was Patton in front of him and he made an attempt to sit up. Patton reached out and easily pushed him back into the couch, then handing him the drink. Logan took the mug and took a small sip, an involuntary “Mmm….” Escaping his lips.

“There you go… Just relax until you are ready to greet the day.” Patton smiled and walked back toward his kitchen. Only a few moment later, he heard a surprisingly clear voice call from the couch.

“…What did you put in here? This is… The best coffee I’ve ever had.” Logan called, gripping the mug tightly in both hands like he thought it might escape if he didn’t.

“My little secret! But you like it? That’s how I drink my cocoa! I’ll be sure to remember you like it! I’ll have to pick up some more coffee, I usually only keep it around for when Virgil is here.” Patton called out from the kitchen as he secretly dropped a few of the salted caramel squares into his drink and stirred it around to melt them. He came out to the living room once again and plopped down on the couch next to Logan. Just as he did so he heard his phone buzz.

🌟Roman🌟: Finding Emo has awoken! The ‘cup of Christmas’ did wonders! I promise not to give away your secrets :P

Patton🐻⬆️: I didn’t intend for it to be a secret at first, but at this point it is so simple I think he would be disappointed if he found out. But Lo is also awake! So what is the plan from here?

🌟Roman🌟: I think the park is closest to Virgil’s place. Wanna meet here and we can all go together? ….I assume in your car?

Patton🐻⬆️: Sounds perfect! See you soon! And yeah.. Probably either mine or Virgil’s.

“Virgil is awake!” Patton turned to Logan, still happily drinking the coffee.

“…What?” Logan raised an eyebrow and Patton suddenly realized he had no idea what was going on. Patton just laughed his deep belly laugh, Logan trying to hide how the sound made him melt, and then began to explain all that had happened that morning. Logan blushed terribly at the photograph, but the one of Virgil made him feel a little better.

“So, do you want to take a shower or anything? Or maybe I can run you home and you can grab clothes or anything you might need?” Patton asked with a smile.

“I have spare clothes in my car I can wear, and if we are in fact going to go to a trampoline park, I will probably shower afterwards. So I just need to change and i’ll be ready to go.” Logan answered, slowly standing up from the couch.

“Great! Well, I’ll just take a quick shower and then we can head out!” Patton popped up, setting down his cocoa on the table. Logan nodded and went out to his car, gathering some of the emergency clothes he kept in his trunk. He chose a plain navy t-shirt and decided the pants he had on were sufficient. He glanced around on the street to make sure no one was walking by and quickly changed his shirt while still outside, then tossed the polo into the trunk.

Walking back in through the front door, he strolled back to his coffee and was taking a sip when he heard something. He wasn’t sure what it was at first… But he slowly realized that it sounded like singing? He tentatively looked up the stairs and realized that Patton’s bedroom was the closest door to the top of the steps, and that door was only half closed. With shaking steps, Logan took his mug and began to climb the stairs. He sat down on the top step, his back to Patton’s door. He wasn’t trying to be a sneak up on Patton or catch a glimpse of him or anything like that… He just needed to hear more of that sound.

Patton’s voice was full and rich with a gorgeous tone. Logan closed his eyes and leaned against the railing, feeling like he was listening to a private concert. Without realizing he had begun to sing along, quietly. Roman insisted that Logan could sing, and Logan admitted he wasn’t awful, but he didn’t even come close to Patton’s beautiful and powerful voice. Logan was so lost in the sound that he didn’t notice the sound of the shower turning off or the sound of footsteps on tile.

Patton climbed out of his shower and began to towel off, still singing at full volume. He started to get dressed and had just pulled his pants on when he noticed he had a backup singer. He blushed a moment, but he realized that Logan wasn’t in his room. He wandered towards his door and peeked out, seeing Logan facing the downstairs and singing to himself, along with Patton. Patton’s heart swelled a bit, he pulled his baby blue t shirt on and walked out of his room to head downstairs.

Logan was startled a bit as Patton appeared next to him, still singing. He only then realized he was also singing. Patton offered him a hand and led him down the stairs. Logan was blushing bright red, but he continued to sing along. Once the song finished, Patton just planted a kiss on top of Logan’s head and then wandered off into the kitchen. Logan didn’t really know what to make of that moment… But he cherished it in his mind.

Patton emerged from the kitchen a few moments later, holding two simply enormous travel mugs. One was black and the other was purple. He silently handed the black one to Logan.

“Ready to go?” Patton smiled. Logan smiled and walked out to the car with Patton.

—

Roman came back from the kitchen with the mug of coffee and handed it to Virgil.

“Alright, were going trampolining with Patton and Logan. Go get dressed.” Roman gave Virgil a playful shove.

“…What?” Virgil raised his eyebrow incredulously.

“We are going to a trampoline park with your large younger brother and my smallish older brother. Go change into something you can trampoline in.” Roman rolled his eyes and explained. Virgil playfully shoved him back.

“Yeah, I get the semantics, Logan.” Virgil laughed and Roman made a face at him. “What on earth does one wear to trampoline in?”

“…Do you need me to pick out your clothes for you?”

“I mean… Yeah probably.”

Virgil lead Roman upstairs to his bedroom and gestured vaguely to his closet. Roman was honestly surprised to see Virgil’s room looking so clean. He had just kind of assumed he would be a rather messy person, especially in his personal spaces. Virgil just flopped down on the bed and let Roman look through his clothes for several minutes.

“I’m starting to think you might be a cartoon character.” Roman slowly piped up.

“Oh yeah? And why might that be?” Virgil scoffed, sitting up.

“You own only one thing. Just over and over.” Roman gestured to the closet, it almost entirely full of black shirts and black skinny jeans.

“Ok, so first of all… Yeah I know. Secondly, you know how hard it is to find clothes that fit me? When something works I just buy a bunch of it. What are you looking for?” Virgil just laughed.

“Something comfortable you can move around in!”

“Uhh…” Virgil popped up and moved to the dresser. He pulled out a, surprise, black t-shirt.

“How is that any different from alllll of these?” Roman gestured to the closet.

“This one is a little too big.” Virgil shrugged and pulled off his tank top, Roman getting another chance to silently swoon over Virgil, before throwing on the black shirt. It was in fact larger than his usual clothes, but it didn’t look too bad. “As for pants, I don’t have much besides pajamas and skinny jeans? Skinny jeans are the only things I can really wear? I might have…” Virgil rifled through another drawer and pulled out a pair of black cloth-looking pants. Probably more pajamas, but they were passable for outside.

“Perfect. Those will work.” Roman smiled. Virgil began to very slowly pick at the knot holding his pajama pants up and Roman realized that Virgil needed to finish changing. “Uhh… I have some clothes downstairs in my bag… I’ll go change too!” Roman zipped out of Virgil’s bedroom with a surprising amount of nervousness. Virgil looked up as he left, his brain not having quite enough caffeine to decide what had just happened, then returned to trying to untie his pajamas.

Roman’s entire face was warm as he hurriedly changed into one of the several outfits he had packed. He was packing his clothes back into the bag when he was startled by a slurping sound behind him. He immediately spun around and saw Virgil deeply drinking from his mug again.

“Jeez, give me a heart attack, why don’t you?” Roman laughed a little, still coming down from his surprise.

“Sorry… People tell me i’m a light stepper.” He shrugged and polished off his drink.

“Yeah, you just appeared out of nowhere!” Roman laughed.

The doorbell rang and Virgil wandered over, pulling it open to find Patton and Logan standing there.

“Virgie!” Patton smiled wide and pulled his brother in close.

“Hey Pat.” Virgil gave his genuine half smile and hugged him back. As they pulled apart, Virgil noticed the giant purple travel mug in Patton’s hand. “Oooo… Is that for me?”

“Yep. Figured you two might need the extra pep for this.” Patton laughed and then gestured to Logan who was holding the matching black mug.

“Ah. Nice to know i’m not the only one who doesn’t function without help.” Virgil held out a fist for a fist bump from Logan, who reciprocated.

“Great… More caffeine addicts in my life.. Just what I needed.” Roman laughed from further inside the house.

“Tell me about it…” Patton added.

“Alright, lets get going!” Roman smiled as he walked over to the door.

“I’ll drive if you will direct me, Roman.” Patton smile and gestured to his car out front.

They all filed into the car, Patton and Roman in the front seat with the other two in the back. Virgil was sure to sit behind Roman who graciously moved his seat all the way up. Logan and Virgil drank their coffee in quiet understanding of one another while Roman and Patton happily chatted.

It wasn’t very long before the four of them arrived to their destination. As they poured out of the car, Logan and Virgil taking their last long sips of coffee, they looked up at the large building before them. Patton and Roman seemed ecstatic and were instantly bounding off for the door.

Logan and Virgil shared a glance.

“…The things we do for our brothers…”


	11. Spring Time

Logan and Virgil just stared at the building for a moment, Roman and Patton were nearly to the front door. Virgil suddenly snorted and rolled his eyes in an exaggerated motion. Logan just turned to him with a raised eyebrow. Virgil pointed at the building.

“Are you seeing what I’m seeing, Specs?”

Logan looked more intently at the building. In large red letters that could be read from the road, the building simply read TRAMPOLINE PARK. But he looked closer at the doors and saw the actual name of the business.  

> **Spring Time!**  
>  _In here, it’s always Time for Spring!_

Logan groaned. Virgil gave him a pat on the shoulder and let a hollow chuckle escape.

“Get used to puns, buddy… You are dating Patton. This is your life now. Welcome to what i’ve been dealing with. Now come on. You know those two… This will only be worse if we don’t hurry up.” Logan gave Virgil a nod and a smile of understanding as they walked a bit faster across the parking lot.

They stepped inside and found Patton and Roman tracing over the interior with their eyes. Virgil and Logan looked behind the front desk and saw on the wall in huge letters it read:

> _Welcome to your Spring fling!_

Logan wasn’t completely sure… But he was fairly certain that he heard Virgil mutter under his breath “yep… this is where I die.”

Roman strolled up to the front counter and the others followed after him. In his regal manner, he addressed the bleary eyed teenager who clearly wanted to be literally anywhere else.

“Hello Miss! We have never been to this establishment before! Can you please instruct us on how to proceed?” Roman boomed. The girl didn’t even bat an eye.

“Hello, my name is - ” She looked down at her name tag. “…Daisy. First you need to go over to those computers over there and fill out the safety waivers. Then back over here and I will get you your wristbands and your jump socks.”

“Splendid!” Roman, Patton, and Logan moved to go the monitors but Virgil hesitated and leaned in toward the teen.

“…Does every who works here have to have a flower name?” He raised his eyebrow. She nodded solemnly, realizing this emo probably understood her pain.

“Well… The girls do. We just draw a name tag out of a flower pot when we clock in. The boys are all vegetables.”

“…I am so sorry.” Virgil just shook his head and walked over to his group.

The other three were already on the monitors filling out the safety waivers. Virgil had only just gotten to filling in his name when Roman piped up.

“So… Who is the oldest?” Roman asked, turning to Logan and Virgil. Virgil glanced down at the  questions he had yet to read and say that birthdate, including year, was required. So that’s where the question came from. He turned to Logan. In unison they both spoke.

“I’m 28.” They smirked.

“May of 89.” Logan added.

“Ah. It’s me then. January 89.” Virgil nodded. Patton turned to Roman.

“So which of us is youngest?” Patton asked.

“I’m 26, how about you?”

“27.”

“Well… At least i’m not the youngest by much.” Roman shrugged.

“…I’ll be 28 in like 3 months.” Patton added.

“Ahhhh…. I won’t be 27 until July…” Roman pouted a little. Logan looked puzzled.

“Wait, Patton does that mean you were also born in 1989?” Logan asked.

“Yep! December of 89!” He smiled.

“…You two are 11 months apart in age.” Logan stated.

“Yep. We’re,” Virgil pulled up his fingers in air quotes. “‘Irish twins.’” Roman and Logan looked puzzled.

“I’m unfamiliar with the term.” Logan admitted.

“It’s just a weird way to say we are siblings that are less than a year apart in age.” Patton shrugged.

“Huh. Interesting.” Logan pondered.

Virgil just turned back to the screen and finished filling out his info. Once he was done and looked up, he saw the others had already finished. Seemed like Patton had gotten done first and had gone back to the front desk. He was talking to the bored teenager once more. She had scrolled through the computer and found all the waivers before Patton swiftly passed his debit card over and payed for all four of their wristbands and socks. Logan was closest.

“Patton, you didn’t have to pay for all us. I could have gotten at least half.” Logan quietly protested. Patton just laughed and pulled him in close, planting a kiss on top of his head.

“Nah. Don’t worry about it. Now tell her what size socks you need.” Patton smiled, looking at the chart.

“I’ll need two pairs in XL.” Patton informed her. She handed over the bright green socks. Patton threw one pair to Virgil and moved to the bench to put his on.

“Two in medium, please.” Logan was handed two more pairs of the neon socks, one of which he handed to Roman. Virgil walked over to Roman and nudged him before whispering in his ear.

“Hey, if you think my feet are big, look at Patton’s.” He laughed and then sat to put his socks on. Roman glanced over at Patton, gleefully getting his socks on, and his eyes widened. Virgil stifled another laugh and just waited for the others to be done.

Once they all had their socks on and then moved to put their phones and wallets in a provided locker, they finally walked toward the trampolines. Virgil noticed and grimaced at the huge sign on the wall before the trampoline area.

> _Spring is just around the corner!_

“…I hate this place.” He said quietly to himself.

“Isn’t this place just the cutest?!” Patton spoke up, bouncing on his toes and having obviously not heard Virgil.

“It’s certainly… Something.” Roman added. All the walls were decorated with flowers or other spring-themed murals and the phrases that kept making Virgil grimace were everywhere.

“What are we going to do first?” Logan suddenly asked, surveying the different opportunities available to them. From what he could see there was an open area with several square trampolines attached to one another in a grid pattern, there was an area with high trampoline covered walls and floor that was designed for dodgeball, an area of foam blocks with a narrow beam going through the center, and a basketball court with trampolines for a floor.

“Probably just start with the the actual trampolining and then move on to the fancy stuff.” Patton smiled before running off to the grid. The other three just smiled warmly at him and followed suit.

Patton was easily going to get the most height out of these, simply because he was the heaviest… By a lot. He was bouncing in the air and from trampoline to trampoline to trampoline having a blast. Roman was keeping up with him pretty well, but putting considerably more effort into the bouncing. When he managed to time his jump right and land on whatever trampoline Patton was on he would launch him up high into the air where he was able to do impressive flips and intricate spins. Logan and Virgil… Mostly seemed like they were just trying to survive. They did mostly fine on their own but if Patton or Roman came blazing through them it took most of their stamina just to remain upright.

With another shared look of understanding, Logan and Virgil made their way off of the trampoline grid and wandered over to the basketball area. This was one huge trampoline with no one else on it, so Virgil and Logan able to control their bouncing a little better while they tried to time their jumping just right to get Logan high enough to be able to dunk.

They were all having a pretty good time when Roman decided to go see how Logan and Virgil were doing… And also to see if he could convince them to play dodgeball. As Roman walked past the dodgeball courts he overheard another group of four that seemed to be trying to figure out how to divide up their team to play as well. Roman thought four on four sounded way more fun than two on two, so he proceeded to fuss with his shoelaces on a nearby bench while they talked to see if he thought they would be up to playing a game all together.

Roman was silently sizing up the group. The two smaller people were about the same height as him and Logan, one in a brightly colored beanie and the other with vibrant hair and matching makeup. The friend that seemed to be the ‘leader’ of the group was about average height, with a shock of purple hair. He also looked vaguely familiar for some reason, but not enough for Roman to place him, so he just ignored it. But the last of them was so tall! He had to be as big as Virgil. If any group was going to be a fairly even match against him and his team, it would be them.

“We could do me and Talyn against you two?” The one in the beanie spoke up, referring to the smallest one.

“I don’t really think that would be fair, Joan. Shouldn’t we do Talyn and Leo against me and you?” The one with purple hair disagreed.

“Why?” Joan interjected, looking up at the one who had to be Leo.

“Well… They are the tallest and smallest. Seems more evenly matched.” He shrugged.

“Thomas! I’m not that small!” Talyn playfully stamped their foot.

“Ok ok.. But Leo is the tallest person i’ve ever seen.” Thomas laughed. Leo just crossed his arms while laughing and rolling his eyes.

Roman looked up and just at that moment, Virgil and Logan were approaching them. They were probably heading back to the grid to look for him and Patton. Talyn noticed Roman still fiddling with his shoelaces and they caught eyes for a moment. Roman threw his eyes past the group over to the approaching Virgil. Talyn turned and saw the giant emo coming closer. They elbowed Thomas gently and nodded in that direction. The entire group turned and looked, seeing Virgil.

Virgil stopped in his tracks, unsure why when he looked up from walking and talking with Logan that four people he had never seen before were staring at him.

“Uhh… Yes?” He raised his eyebrow.

“Hey man, how tall are you?” Leo spoke up, standing up a bit straighter.

“6’6”.” Virgil smirked, also standing up straight. His nervousness melted away when he realized why they were looking at him.

“Dang it. None of us are tall enough to look over your heads and see who’s the tallest! Now how am I gonna know who the biggest person i’ve ever seen is?!” Thomas playfully complained.

“Oh, my little brother can help.” Virgil had an almost evil glint in his eye. “Hey Pat! Can you come here for a second!” Virgil called back over to the trampoline grid.

“Sure thing Virge!” They all heard before a still joyously jumping Patton came bounding into view. He bounced right out of the trampoline area and came running up, stopping right between Virgil and Leo.  

The four friends stood in awe of Patton. He didn’t even seem to notice, smiling happily and looking at Virgil.

“What’s going on, kiddos?” He smiled, looking at all the people around them.

“Can you tell us who is taller?” Virgil laughed, gesturing to Leo. Patton leaned forward a little, glancing over the two of them.

“I mean.. I’d say it’s pretty close honestly. Too close to call I think.” He shrugged. Logan and Roman couldn’t contain their laughter any more and suddenly busted up, holding their sides. Virgil just smirked and turned to Thomas.

“Does that answer your question?” He chuckled and the four of them just started laughing along with Logan and Roman. Patton wasn’t entirely sure what was happening, but he just shrugged and figured they’d let him in on it later.

“I suppose it does.” Thomas was still laughing.

Once the laughter died down a bit, Roman spoke up.

“So hey! I’m Roman, these are Virgil, Patton, and Logan. How about four on four for dodgeball?”

Everyone looked at him and then around at each other. A collective shrug all around and then Thomas spoke up.

“I’m Thomas, these are Talyn, Joan, and Leo.”

“It’s great to meet you all!” Patton smiled, bouncing on up and down on his toes again. The new group just smiled at the adorable giant and then all of them made their way into the court.  
  
They immediately began lining up opposite the person on the opposing team who was the most like them. It seemed like the obvious logical choice, after all. Leo was opposite Virgil, the tall skinny giants. Thomas was across from Patton, while different in height they were similar at least in that they both seemed the most sturdy. Joan was across from Logan, they seemed to be approximately the same size. And Talyn was facing Roman, as the two smallest present.

Logan provided a count down and the game began, the small faceoffs immediately showing to be almost completely incorrect. Leo grabbed a ball and threw it directly toward Virgil, who somehow managed to throw himself to the side in fear and dodge it. Thomas aimed for Patton who went to catch it and immediately got out as it bounced right off his hands. Roman tried to take out Talyn who just jumped out of the way entirely. Logan didn’t really make much of a move to do anything, but Joan didn’t seem to have too much in the ways of aim anyway. It was four on three with Patton out, but Logan’s first attempt at throwing was caught by Thomas, so he was out as well.

It was four against two, but Roman managed to get Leo, bringing it closer to even. Roman then set his sights on Joan, who was the next one out. No matter what Thomas or Roman did, they couldn’t seem to hit Virgil or Talyn. It was like they were ghosts.. Or made of noodles. Virgil managed to panic just enough to completely flee out of the way and Talyn just side stepped most projectiles. So it was essentially down to Roman and Thomas, seeing as the other two didn’t seem to be able to hit a moving target to save their lives.

On the sidelines, Logan and Joan had sparked up a conversation about space because Joan’s shirt had constellations on it. Leo and Patton were chilling together talking about where the best places were to get sneakers. Somehow Talyn and Virgil ended up just ducking out and  discussing makeup techniques. Roman and Thomas didn’t even seem to notice, still in full game mode. They were throwing, jumping, and dodging with ferocity. They both had a moment of crouching to lean on their knees and catch their breath when they looked around and suddenly realized everyone else had just been chilling. They just laughed a bit at themselves and each other before coming together for a fist bump.

“Call it a tie?” Roman offered.

“A tie it is!” Thomas agreed as the two of them went to rejoin their friends.

The 8 of them hung out a while longer, a few of them exchanging numbers in case they ever wanted to get together and hang out again or just continue the conversations they had been having, until Thomas and his friends had to head out.

“That was so fun! I liked them a lot!” Patton smiled after their new friends had left.

“I certainly had a fascinating conversation with Joan. They were very knowledgeable about a multitude of subjects.” Logan added.

“This has been such a good day all around! We really should do more activities as a group!” Roman added, his voice excited as he began thinking of more things they could all do together.

“I’m.. Mostly up for activities. I’m less up for physical activities.” Virgil groaned. “I am going to be so sore tomorrow, I can feel it…”

“I will admit this was enjoyable, but I agree. Physical activities are not quite my forte.” Logan adjusted his glasses as he spoke.

“Hmm.. How about on Saturday, you and I can go on an epic adventure, Patton! And these two nerds can go read books and drink coffee.” Roman smiled, his voice not at all calmer than it had been.

“That sounds great, Roman! I’m so excited!” Patton clapped happily.

“…You up for books and coffee?” Virgil turned to Logan with a raised eyebrow. Roman had meant it as a jab, but it sounds like a great time to Virgil.

“Exceptionally. It sounds like a very pleasant way to spend one’s time.” Logan nodded.

“Great, it’s a date!” Patton added, his voice chipper.   
  
The four of them began to leave the trampoline park, heading towards the exit. Just as they were about to go through the doors, Virgil looked up at the writing just above the Exit sign.

> _Spring has Sprung! But don’t forget to return next Spring!_

Virgil and Logan both groaned loudly while Patton giggled.

“Oh come on! Really?!”


	12. Differences

The rest of the week passed by mostly uneventfully, with the exception of both Virgil and Logan grumbling about how sore they were from all the exercise, and they all found themselves in their homes on late Friday afternoon. Roman and Patton had been texting all week about their plans for Saturday, Logan and Virgil had texted occasionally about where they bought coffee from. Logan was relaxing on his couch, reading a book when his phone buzzed.

Patton😸: Hey Lolo!💙

Logan smiled, just thinking about Patton brightened whatever he was doing.

Lolo💙💙: Yes, Patton? :)  
Patton😸: Do you want to spend the night over here tonight?  
Patton😸: I just thought because Roman and I thought it would be best if we all left at the same time!  
Patton😸: And I know you and Virgil have a hard time waking up in the morning sometimes and I thought if you were over here I could wake you up with coffee and breakfast and stuff!!  
Patton😸: But you don’t have to! No pressure!   
Patton😸: Just forget I asked! It’s fine.. nevermind!!!  
Lolo💙💙: I’ll pack a bag and head over in a few minutes. Do you want me to bring anything for dinner?  
Patton😸: I should have plenty of stuff here! Thank you though! See you soon!💙

—

Virgil was playing video games on his couch when his front door bust open. He turned over his shoulder and saw Roman wearing his giant backpack.

“What’s up, Tinkerbell?” Virgil asked, turning back to Zelda. Roman rolled his eyes and tossed his bag down, plopping on the couch next to Virgil.

“Oh ha ha, I’m tall and hilaaarious.” Roman playfully mocked Virgil who just laughed along.

“So what’s going on?” Virgil asked, still engrossed in his game.

“I’m staying over so I can make sure that your trash ass gets up and actually hangs out with Logan tomorrow.” Roman shrugged.

“Ah, makes sense. Secondary question, when did you get a key?” He still hadn’t turned away from the game and didn’t honestly seemed very concerned with Roman’s answer.

“I took it out of your key bowl last time I was here and made myself a spare.”

“Sweet. Now I don’t have to actually get up and let you in when you come over.”

“Exactly.” Roman leaned against Virgil, making himself comfortable on the couch.

“You’re the best.”

“I know.”

“Would you like to play a game?”

“Sure thing, Slenderman.”

“That was a Jigsaw reference, but whatever.”

—

Logan arrived to Patton’s and cautiously knocked at the door. It was hardly a moment before Patton pulled the door open with a huge smile.

“Lo!” Patton exclaimed with joy, reaching forward and pulling Logan into a hug. Logan was used to this greeting at this point, but every time it still made his heart race to be so thoroughly engulfed in Patton’s affectionate embrace. Logan’s feet just barely left the floor, something Patton promised he was working on doing less, but it just made Logan laugh as Patton pulled him inside the house.

“Hello, Pat.” Logan hugged him back, just a little breathless. Patton realized what he had done, yet again, and swiftly placed him back down. Both of their cheeks were dusted pink and Logan took a deep breath in, making the involuntary “Mmm…” sound as he smelled the house.

“Oh, I just got started on dinner.” Patton smiled but then suddenly froze. “Do you like lamb?”

“I’ve never tried it, honestly.” Logan shrugged. “But it smells spectacular in here.”

“Hopefully it tastes as good as it smells then!” He responded happily. He turned to head back to the kitchen but Logan called out to him before he made it too far.

“Can I.. Umm.. Do you need any assistance?” Logan asked, somewhat nervously.

“I can always use a sous chef. Come on, Lolo.” Patton smiled and held his hand out for Logan to take before leading him into the kitchen.

The kitchen smelled even better than the entryway did, the smells of all the different foods cooking all melding together. Logan’s mouth began involuntarily watering at the harmonious explosion of scents.

“What are you making?” Logan asked, looking over the multiple pots on the stove and seeing that the oven was also on. Patton began running through a checklist out loud, gesturing vaguely at the different pots and dishes.

“Umm… Herb crusted rack of lamb with chimichurri, dijon garlic potatoes dauphinois, Harissa roasted parsnips, broccoli Parmesan risotto… And… a light salad.”

“…Just for the two of us? Doesn’t that seem like a lot of food?” Logan was stunned, not only by the amount, but also by the fact he hadn’t heard of most of the things Patton just rattled off so easily. Patton just raised an eyebrow with a smirk and gestured up and down at himself. Logan blushed lightly.

“Right. Forget I asked. So… How do I help?” Logan asked, beyond curious at the prospect of learning about these dishes. Patton opened a pantry door and grabbed two aprons, tossing one to Logan. Of course Patton’s was a bit too short while Logan’s was comically oversized but they just laughed and moved forward, Patton showing Logan different knife cuts and what things he could help with.

As they continued Logan realized that as much he loved knowing things, learning things was still his favorite thing to do. Especially with such a knowledgable and attractive instructor.

—

“HA! TAKE THAT, FIEND!’

“I’M NOT OUT OF THIS YET, TATER TOT!”

“OH YEAH?! TASTE MY RIGHTEOUS FURY!”

“CHOKE ON MY VENGEANCE!!”

Video games were going well, Virgil had introduced Roman to a game called Arms, where the two players each controlled a boxer with inhumanly long arms and they held small motion sensitive controllers so they could actually throw punches toward the screen. They had been going on like this for sometime, only pausing the game when the doorbell rang.

Virgil raised an eyebrow toward the door, not expecting anyone. Roman just went and answered it, collecting two pizza boxes from the delivery person.

“When did you order pizza?” Virgil asked, surprised.

“Before I came over, you can tell them online what time you want it delivered.”

“Oh look at you go and all your fancy forethought.” Virgil jokingly clapped for Roman.

“Oh hush you.” Roman laughed, putting the pizza boxes in the kitchen. Virgil walked up to the bar to see what Roman had ordered.

“What kind did you get?” He asked curiously.

“Let’s see…” He opened the first box and looked down in disgust before closing the box and pushing it toward Virgil. “One… Barbecue chicken pizza, no red onions.. add pineapple.” Virgil happily took the box, wiping a fake tear from his eye.

“Awww… You DO care.”

“And for everyone who isn’t a sociopath… Meat lover’s, add mushrooms.” Roman said happily, popping the second box open.

“And you call me a sociopath… Hey, toss me a bottle of ranch from the fridge.”

“….What the hell even are you?” Roman scrunched up his face and gently threw the condiment to Virgil.

“A damn visionary, that’s what.”

—

Patton and Logan sat down to enjoy their beautiful dinner, Logan astounded by how delicious it all was. Everything he tried was absolutely stupendous, he had literally no idea food could taste this good.

“Patton, this is astounding.. Just.. Delectable.” Logan managed, tearing his eyes from his plate to look at the blushing Patton.

“Thank you so much! But hey, give yourself some credit! You helped!” Patton clapped him on the shoulder gently.

“Hardly, this is almost entirely you. I don’t think of myself as much of a cook. Cooking is too….” Logan gazed into Patton’s eyes while choosing a word. “Fluid? … Emotional? It’s…”

“Cooking is an art. There aren’t really any rules besides the ones that keep it from killing you. You like things that have correct answers and this just doesn’t have any.” Patton spoke with a small smile. “It’s… Too free.” Logan was once again completely enamored by the intuition and intelligence of the man sitting next to him.

“Precisely.” He smiled warmly and sincerely.

“But hey, you don’t need to be good at cooking. You have me. And anyway, you would like baking way better.” Patton said offhandedly, going back in for another bite of his food.

“I would?”

“Oh definitely. Cooking may be an art, but baking is a science. Chemistry to be exact. Much less room for experimentation unless you really know what you are doing and how it all works.” Patton explained. Logan was taken aback. Art was something he didn’t fully grasp, but science he definitely understood.

“…You are a trained pastry chef, correct?”

“…I am.” Patton raised an eyebrow.

“Will you teach me how to bake? I’m thoroughly intrigued by your explanation.” Logan asked, his curiosity piqued. Patton smiled wider than Logan had ever seen.

“I would absolutely love to.”

—

Roman and Virgil were collapsed on the couch, two empty pizza boxes thrown haphazardly on the coffee table.

“Uhh… So good… So much…” Virgil groaned, his hand on his stomach.

“I can’t move… Too full…” Roman chimed in.

“I can’t even imagine taking another bite right now… Like… When was the last time I ate a whole pizza? College? College me had that on lock back in the day…”

“Ugh… The idea of food is so nauseating right now. Why did we do this?” Roman complained.

Virgil checked the time and suddenly sat up, grabbing the tv remote.

“Hey, Cutthroat Kitchen is about to come on. Wanna watch?” He asked Roman.

“Oh I love that show!” Roman sat up and cuddled up against Virgil as he flipped to the Food Network.

“I’ll make some popcorn at the first commercial break.”

“Sweeeet.”

—  
A long while after dinner had passed, Logan and Patton could be found laughing in the kitchen. Both it and them were sporting a healthy layer of flour. Patton had begun the lesson on baking with how different foods could be used for different purposes, the necessity of leavening agents for baking and how different compounds prevented foods from sticking or burning. It somehow devolved into an explosion of flour, sugar on the floor, and a decent amount of baking powder in Logan’s hair.

They had still come up with a rather delicious batch of cookies, and next on the list was teaching Logan how to make his favorite caramel squares. Logan was just soaking up information, never aware until that day that Patton knew so much about edible chemistry. They had a lot of fun together, Logan able to do several of his favorite things: Spending time with Patton, learning something new, and eating delicious treats.

They baked decently into the night, completely losing track of the time. By the time one of them noticed how late it had gotten, it was nearly midnight. Patton and Logan began cleaning up the kitchen, at least getting the mess off the floor even if they didn’t finish cleaning everything. They made their way out of the kitchen, still laughing at themselves and coming down from the high of their lovely evening together. The two of them made their way to the bottom of the stairs.

“Ah. Small thing. I only have one shower. So… You can take the first one?” Patton explained and gestured up the stairs to his bedroom. Logan blushed a little bit and grabbed his bag, ascending the stairs and entering the bedroom to make his way to the bathroom. Logan paused, looking at everything. It wasn’t surprising, but it was still a shock to see such a large space. He had an enormous jacuzzi bathtub on one side, Logan would have estimated it would fit 2 or 3 people… Or Patton and a half person.

_/I don’t think anyone bigger than me could fit in there at the same time as him…/_

Logan found himself thinking, and immediately blushed bright red at his own thought as he undressed and climbed into the shower across from the tub. The water rained down from the ceiling, surprising Logan a bit, but it made sense after a moment of thought.

—

Roman and Virgil were passed out on the couch, popcorn all over both of them as the bowl had spilled across their laps when whichever one of them was holding it had fallen asleep. The Food Network was still playing in the background as they slept, an over excited chef talking about the best crab cake he had ever eaten. They didn’t seem like they would be waking any time soon.

—

Logan got dressed in his pajamas, matching navy blue plaid top and bottom. As he excited the bedroom he heard Patton singing in the kitchen, probably cleaning up more. He smiled to himself but decided it would be most important for them to get to sleep soon.

“Pat? I’m out of the shower.” He called downstairs.

“Oh ok! Coming!” Patton called, appearing in view momentarily, still adorably coated in flour. He walked by Logan on his way up the stairs, playfully planting a kiss on Logan’s nose as he passed by. “Make yourself at home! I’ll be out in a few!” Logan descended the stairs and sat down on the couch, focusing on calming his heart rate. He leaned back on the couch, dozing off for a moment. When he woke up, Patton was kneeling in front of him, dressed in pajamas with slightly wet hair.

“Lo?” Pat asked gently.

“Hmm… Yes?” Logan sat up looking up at Patton.

“I.. Uh… We… There’s… Well… Uh..” Patton’s face was pretty pink, but in Logan’s tired brain all he could focus on was how adorable he looked, stammering in front of him. Logan sat up and wrapped his arms around Patton’s neck, pulling him in for a kiss. Patton was surprised at first but immediately gave in and wrapped his arms around Logan. As they pulled away several moments later, Logan spoke up.

“What is it you were trying to say?” Logan asked, the kiss waking him up a bit.

“Just that uh… Where do you… umm.. Want to… There’s no pressure or anything.. and I mean. You can wherever you want to… But like uh… I uhh..” Patton was stammering a bit, but still better than he was before.

“Where do I want to…” Logan stared at Patton inquisitively until he realized what Patton was trying to say. “…Where do I want to sleep?”  Patton nodded, thankful Logan finished the question.

“I have uh… Well, there’s my bed. There’s plenty of room.. But no pressure! If you are uncomfortable… Or just like.. Didn’t want to.. That’s totally fine! It’s completely up to you! There’s also a guest room! And uh.. This couch?” Patton’s face was getting redder and redder. Logan just looked at him for a moment before standing up and grabbing Patton’s hand.

“I’m tired. Let’s go to sleep.” He smiled, leading Patton upstairs to his room.

—

Roman woke up in the early hours of the morning, looking groggily at the clock. He nudged Virgil awake, luckily he hadn’t been asleep long enough to really be in a deep sleep.

“Hey… Hey… Virge… Viiiirge.” Roman shoved him lightly.

“Wha?” He sat up sleepily and rubbed his eyes.

“Come on, let’s go to bed.” Roman gently pushed Virgil up off the couch. Virgil reached back and grabbed Roman’s hand, leading him up to the bedroom.

Virgil reached across the bed and grabbed a body pillow that was taking up the second person’s spot and threw it on the ground so there was a place for Roman. They both climbed in, Roman wrapping Virgil’s arms around him like a proper big spoon and they instantly fell asleep as soon as they pulled the blanket up over them.

—  
  
Logan fell asleep pretty quickly once he climbed, literally, up into Patton’s extremely tall bed. Patton laid down, turning off the light and trying to fall asleep. He heard some light snoring and glanced over to Logan. He had fallen asleep almost instantly, and seeing him so peaceful made Patton’s heart swell. It was only a few moments of Patton trying to figure out how he was going to sleep when he felt Logan roll over onto his arm. Patton looked over and saw Logan using his upper arm as a pillow and had curled himself up against his torso. Patton just wrapped his arm around Logan and let the metronome of his steady breathing lull him to sleep.


	13. Active Friendship

Patton woke bright and early, feeling refreshed. He wasn’t sure of the last time he had gotten such a good night’s sleep. He found his glasses on the bedside table and then peered over at Logan, sprawled out in his best impression of a starfish. Patton managed to swallow his laughter as he very gently eased out of his bed and slid his feet into his slippers for minimum volume. He eased his way softly down the stairs and to the kitchen to start making coffee.

It didn’t take him too long to make a coffee and a cocoa, stirring in some of the caramels of course, and take them carefully back upstairs. He pushed the bedroom door open with his foot and placed the mugs down, slowly crawling across the bed and brushing Logan’s hair out of his face.

“Morning Lo…” Patton said gently, smiling down at him.

“Mmm…” Logan answered, trying to fight consciousness.

“Lolo… Time to wake up… It’s morning….” Patton softly cooed, running his hand softly through Logan’s hair. Logan groggily opened his eyes, ready to scowl and roll over once again but he looked up into Patton’s gentle expression and his scowl instantly disappeared.

“…Morning Pat.” Logan managed, sleep still fighting to take him. Patton smiled warmly.

“There’s my sleepy boy.. Come on, sit up. I brought you a coffee.” Patton reached over and helped Logan prop himself up against the headboard. Patton sat next to him, handing Logan a mug as well as his glasses before grabbing his own drink and draping an arm around Logan’s shoulders. Logan took a sip and then gazed over at Patton.

“…I could get used to this.” He smiled gently.

“….Me too.” Patton answered with pink dusted cheeks.

—

Roman’s alarm began to blare, him barely having time to wake before Virgil reached over and smacked it off with perfect sleeping accuracy. Roman took a moment to gain his bearings and decipher his surroundings. At some point in the night, he and Virgil had switched positions and Roman was now the big spoon, his arms wrapped around Virgil possessively. Virgil was curled around his pillow for dear life, but still leaning into Roman for comfort.

 _/awww… he’s a sleep snuggler. Explains that body pillow…/_   Roman though to himself.

“Viiiirge. Come on. Let’s get up.” Roman nudged him a bit.

“Merrrrr…” He managed.

“Come onnnn…. I’ll make coffee when we get downstairs.”

“MEERRRRRRRR…”

“What are you? A zombie now?”

“….maaaaaybe..” Came a rough and groggy voice. Virgil’s voice was so deep and scratchy from sleep, Roman could feel it reverberate through Virgil’s back which still pressed to his chest. Roman bit his lip, loving the gravelly tone.

“Come onnn… Get uppppp…” Roman nudged him again.

“Noooooo… Bedddddd…..” Virgil curled harder into the pillow he was clinging to.

“Get. Up. You. Giant. Sloth.” Roman gave him a light shove with every word.

“….If you think i’m gonna walk down those stairs right now, you have another thing coming.” Virgil chuckled a bit and turned to look at Roman. Even in the dark Virgil could see the fire in Roman’s eyes and he immediately realized he may have made a mistake.

Before Virgil knew what was happening, Roman had rolled directly over the top of him and landed with surprising grace on the floor. He then grabbed Virgil’s arms and pulled them around his shoulders. He held tight to Virgil’s forearms and began to drag Virgil out of the bed. Virgil froze, but he knew Roman was strong enough to carry him so all he could really do at that point was let it happen. Roman felt Virgil tense up for a moment, which caused him to pause. But as he felt Virgil relax, he began pulling him once again. Virgil nearly was dragged fully to ground when Roman heard a deep chuckle behind him as his tall boyfriend wrapped long thin legs around his waist.

“…Are you a backpack now?”

“I mean, if I don’t pull my legs up you are just gonna drag me down the stairs.”

“…Fair point.”

Roman, with surprising ease, took his new “backpack” down the stairs and softly deposited him on the couch.

“That went surprisingly well.” Virgil smirked as he stretched his lanky body across the sofa.

“Hey, i’m definitely strong enough to carry you. That wasn’t an issue!” Roman pouted as he headed to the kitchen.

“Still though… Staaaaaairss….” Virgil yawned in the middle of his word, realizing that even though Roman had woken him up, his body was still rather caffeine dependent. It only took Roman a couple minutes to make coffee and bring it over to Virgil who took it gratefully. As Virgil drank deeply, Roman explained the plan.

“So, I’m fairly sure Logan stayed over at Patton’s last night so that Pat could make sure he wakes up. He’s fairly trash also, probably less than you are though.” Roman smirked.

“World Trash Champion - 15 years running.” Virgil put one fist in the air in triumph.

“…Remind me to ask you what happened to you when you were 13 that started this whole spiral… But anyway. They should be texting any minute that they are gonna head over here and we can start this whole ‘brother date’ day.” Roman explained. Virgil just nodded, finishing off his coffee. He stood to get more but Roman popped up and took the mug. Virgil raised an eyebrow, but just at that moment Roman’s phone buzzed.

“Hey, if you want it to taste special, I have to make it. And… There’s Pat. They are gonna head over now. So we better get dressed.” Roman went off to the kitchen and Virgil just went back upstairs.

Roman got dressed and began to tidy up the living room. He had time to pick up just about all the popcorn and throw out the pizza boxes before he heard a knock at the door. Roman hurried over and opened it up, finding Patton and Logan standing there.

“Pat! Lo! Good morning!” Roman greeted.

“Good morning Kiddo!” Patton answered cheerily as he walked inside, looking around for his brother.

“Good morning, Roman.” Logan smiled, sharing a short hug with Roman.

“Where is Virge?” Patton asked, turning back around to look at Roman.

“He went upstairs to change…” Roman looked at the clock. “…About 20 minutes ago.” Patton just laughed deeply and ascended the stairs to the bedroom. Logan and Roman stood quietly and listened.

“Viiiirge? … Oh come on, Virge. Really?”

“Huh? Oh… Uh, hi Pat.”

“Seriously, Virge?”

“Whaaaa? It’s early!”

“…Come on.”

“Nooo…”

“I will carry you down those stairs, I swear.”

“….Wouldn’t be the first time today…”

Patton appeared momentarily, Virgil exasperatedly laying in his arms. He was fully dressed, his hair fixed, and his makeup applied. He had apparently gotten completely ready before laying in his bed and going back to sleep. Roman rolled his eyes at Virgil as Patton placed him down but all Virgil did was shrug.

“Anyway… You guys ready?” Patton smiled, looking around at everyone.

“Of course!” Roman excitedly responded.

“I suppose.” Logan adjusted his glasses with a small sigh.

“As I’ll ever be.” Virgil shrugged again.

“Great! Let’s go!” Patton called and led them all outside, Virgil locking the door behind them. After a few hugs and some goodbye kisses, they parted ways. Roman and Patton headed towards Patton’s huge blue SUV and Logan and Virgil walked the other direction off toward Virgil’s truck.

—

Roman was exceptionally thankful for the step that Patton’s SUV had. There would have been no way for him to get in without it. He buckled into his seat and Patton drove off toward their destination.

“Ok, so we’re going to that mall with the skating rink right?” Patton asked, looking ahead at the road.

“Yep! Have you been there before?”

“I have. But I haven’t skated in a long time. I think this will be lots of fun though!” Patton answered happily.

Their destination wasn’t very far and the drive was over before much longer. They parked and began walking into the mall. The rink was in the very center of the large mall, so the  two of them walked through, happily chatting. Roman couldn’t help but notice the looks that Patton received. He had been out with Virgil before and noticed how people tended to double take with him, but Virgil had an air of intimidation about him. People tended not to want to stare too long at a monstrous emo. But Patton was one of the least intimidating people Roman had ever known. People just stared fixated on him everywhere they went.

Roman felt anger welling up inside him, he wanted to say something to the throng of onlookers, but just as he opened his mouth Patton gently placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked up into Patton’s smiling face.

“Roman, it’s ok.” He said earnestly.

“But Pat… They all stare at you. Like… They don’t even try to hide it.” Roman argued.

“Roman, I’m used to it. Also… I’m interesting? No one expects to see me all of a sudden. You can’t blame them. I look even bigger next to you or Lolo. When it’s Virge they look away a lot faster, I think he scares people..” Patton began but kind of trailed off in thought toward the end. Roman wanted to argue more but he couldn’t help but smile at the adorable Patton.

“…Lolo?” He smirked causing Patton’s cheeks to turn bright red. Roman smiled and looked around them once more, noticing the store they had stopped in front of. “Ooo… Pat. Are you up for a detour before we go to the rink?” Roman’s eyes sparkled. Patton looked at the store they were in front of and he instantly cracked a smile.

“Oh definitely.” The two of them turned and walked inside.

“Hello! Welcome to CeramiCafe! Have you been in before?” The cheerful clerk answered as the two of them stepped inside.

“We have not, actually.” Smiled Roman.

“Alright then! Just pick out the ceramic that would you like to paint, then come pay for the piece up here before you get started. Once you do that you can settle in with the paints and brushes and get to painting!”

“Sounds great!” Patton smiled back and he and Roman began to look over the array of objects they could paint. After a few minutes of searching Roman found the perfect thing… On the highest shelf. He walked over to Patton and just pointed. He instantly nodded and grabbed two of the simply enormous coffee mugs.

“I can’t think of anything better. There are perfect.” Patton smiled and placed them down on a table. He also managed to pay for them before Roman had a chance to interject. Roman grumbled a bit, but the two went and grabbed palettes and began loading them up with paint.

Patton had only blue, black, and white, as well as grabbing some interesting heat sensitive paint. Roman loaded his up with several colors, having to grab multiple palettes to contain all the ones he wanted. Patton grabbed one large brush and a few small ones, while Roman grabbed essentially every brush he saw.

They sat down, both applying a base color to the mug. Patton painted the interior of the mug a light sky blue and the outside black, Roman’s was a deep purple on the inside and a lighter purple on the outside. Roman began mixing paints together while he waited for his coats to dry, applying more coats whenever he could to make sure that base color was saturated. In between his coats drying and adding more, Patton was googling things on his phone.

“Is Logan a Taurus?” Patton asked at one point.

“Yep. Stubborn lil bull, that one.” Roman laughed and continued to mix his paints.

“Thanks.” Patton smiled and went back to his phone.

Once the coats were solid enough, they began to actually paint. Patton was going very slowly, precisely adding very specific single white dots, every time checking back on his phone before he added another. Once he was satisfied with his dots, he sprinkled in tiny dots to fill more of the space around them and then used the heat sensitive paint to connect the dots in specific shapes. Roman seemed to be painting a thousand tiny images across the mug, each one small and detailed.

They took their mugs up to the counter and presented them to the clerk who took them to the back. The clerk returned a moment later.

“Normally you have to wait a day or two before you can come pick these up, but we had a slow day yesterday so I haven’t fired that small batch yet. I can fit these in this morning and you two should be able to pick these up around when we close tonight!”

“Oh great! Thank you so much!” Roman added happily before the two of them left, heading for their original destination. The two of them walked onward, excited about going skating. But a moment later Patton paused.

“Hey, Ro. When was the last time you were here?”

“Uhh.. It’s probably been a few years. Why?” He looked up curiously at Patton who was staring ahead.

“Looks like the skating rink is an ice rink now.” Patton gestured ahead at a far off sign.

“…You still want to skate?”

“I do if you still do.”

“Cool. Let’s just roll with it then.”

“Don’t you mean… Slide with it?… Get it? Cuz… Ice?”

“…Oh Pat.”

—  
The two of them made their way into the rink, Roman dashing ahead and paying for their wrist bands and skates. Patton just shook his head and smiled as they went to the counter to get their skates.

“What sizes do you need?” There was a teen behind the counter who was a little surprised to see the two of them, unsure which one he wanted to look at.

“Uh.. 7.”

“…17.”

“This is the part where I would ask if you want figure skates or hockey skates… But the really small sizes are all in figure skates and the really large ones are all in hockey… So..” The teen seemed kinda stunned as he wandered off to find the skates they needed. He came back in a minute or two and handed the dainty figure skates to Roman and the enormous hockey skates to Patton. They thanked him vaguely and went off to get their skates on and get on the ice.

“I haven’t skated in a while, so forgive me if i’m a bit rusty.” Patton blushed a little as they made their way onto the ice.

“Me either, I used to be pretty good though. Maybe I can find some of that muscle memory if we go at it long enough!” Roman seemed determined and Patton just smiled at him. They shakily stepped onto the ice, inching along the wall for a few minutes until they got their balance figured out. A few laps around the rink and Patton was gliding along relatively easily. Roman was figuring it out, but it was coming to him a little slower. At one point he decided that maybe going faster would make it easier? And he began to zip forward, going as quickly as he could around in circles.

That worked for a while, Patton just kept his gentle speed and let Roman lap him several times, but Roman realized he didn’t really know how to slow down or stop. While he pondered his predicament, he managed to trip a bit over another skater and go crashing down into the cold floor. The other skater turned around with malice in their eyes and looked down at Roman on the ground. Patton was instantly speeding up to catch up with Roman and make sure he was alright, and he managed to hear the other person as he approached.

“Maybe you should learn how to skate and watch where you are going, you damn midget!” Before turning and skating away, laughing with their friends.

Patton was immediately there and helped Roman back up on his feet and ensured he was alright.

“…Nothing hurt but my pride, Pat… I’m fine.” He smiled weakly. Patton’s expression turned cold in a way that shook Roman to his core. He was unaware that Patton could even make a face like that, but Roman was positive he would never forget it.

“I’ll be right back.”

Patton took off with blazing speed, barreling right for the group that had laughed at Roman. One of them noticed and let out a small shriek at the enormous man flying towards them and completely panicked, falling down and taking their friends to the ground with them. Patton turned his skates at the last possible moment, stopping just before them and spraying them with a sheet of ice.

Roman could not hear what Patton said to them… And for that fact, he was rather grateful. He had bent low and was talking just loud enough for the group on the floor to hear him. He gestured angrily towards Roman and then again violently to the exit. They sheepishly scrambled to their feet and fled out the door to the rink. Patton simply skated back over to Roman with his usual smile on his face as though nothing had happened. They skated side by side for a moment before Roman just couldn’t take it anymore.

“Hey, uh… Pat?”

“Yeah, Roman?” His tone cheery.

“What did you say to them?” Roman’s voice shook a bit. Patton paused for a moment, his face falling neutral for a moment.

“…I asked them to please apologize to my brother or to leave the rink as they were not playing very nicely.” He said calmly with a shrug.

“…Ok…” Roman paused, exceptionally aware that that was not at all how that conversation went. Suddenly Roman perked up a bit. “Aww.. You called me your brother?”

“Of course! Come here, kiddo.” He smiled and pulled Roman in for a side hug.

“Also, where did you learn to skate like that?”

“Oh, I played on a club ice hockey team all through middle and high school. I uh.. I grew pretty fast so I made a good goalie.” Patton laughed. Roman just kind of stared at him for a moment.

“Was your team any good?” Roman smirked. Patton laughed deeply and loudly before crouching and making himself as wide as possible.

“They didn’t need to be. No one could score on us with me in the goal.” The two of them laughed and continued to skate for a long while, Patton teaching Roman some techniques for how to be a little more stable on the ice. And also how to stop, which was important.

They had a lot of fun together on the ice and before they knew it it had been several hours and they left to get a quick dinner in the food court be stopping to pick up their painted creations from the CeramiCafe. Both of their mugs came out beautifully and they wrapped them up to take home and give as gifts to their caffeine addicted boys.   
  
Happily chatting on the way home, they arrived back at Virgil’s apartment and saw Virgil’s truck parked outside, so they knew the two of them were home. They knocked but there was no answer at the door, so Roman pulled out his key and they let themselves in. They found who they were looking for instantly, but they were absolutely shocked at what they were doing. Patton’s hands flew to cover his mouth and Roman immediately grabbed his phone from his pocket and started recording.


	14. Calm Friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alternate Title - Enter: Reggie

Logan and Virgil waved goodbye to their brothers as they walked off towards Virgil’s truck. Logan was surprised to see the lifted black pickup truck, but he supposed it made just as much sense as Patton having such a huge SUV. Virgil popped into his seat while Logan scrambled up inside.

“So, wanna go check out that bookstore across town? There’s a really cool coffee place in the same area I can show you.” Virgil asked as he began to drive.

“That sounds quiet pleasant to me.” Logan agreed and they quietly drove off together. A few minutes of silence went by before Virgil spoke up again.

“So, what kind of music do you listen to?” Virgil asked him, curiously.

“I’m good with most things…” He trailed off a moment. “Well, I can’t imagine anything you listen to would be that unpleasant to me. …That’s more Roman’s area.” Logan shrugged. Virgil chuckled a little, knowingly. He simply reached into his hoodie pocket and pulled out his iPod and handed it to Logan.

“Here, put something on. There’s an aux cable in the center storage box.”

Logan began to scroll through the music Virgil had. It was, unsurprisingly, full of mostly emo, punk, and alternative genres. Logan didn’t recognize a lot of the song titles or band names as he looked through. He was fairly sure he had heard of Hozier? And decided to play that.

“Ah, good choice.” Virgil smirked a bit and they continued the drive, quietly enjoying the music together.

They arrived at their destination after a short while, walking into the mall. Logan watched as people would quickly double take at Virgil then avert their eyes immediately. He raised an eyebrow in confusion as he watched this take place over and over again.

“Virgil, may I ask you a question?” Logan peered up at the man walking next to him.

“Sure thing, Specs. What is it?”

“Do you find that people stare at you?” He asked cautiously.

“I don’t really get stares… Just a lot of surprised looks. But I rarely catch people like… Looking for a long time, I guess? Why? You getting a lot more attention than usual?” Virgil chuckled deeply.

“Yes and no, actually.” Logan smirked and Virgil looked down at him in confusion. “Patton gets stared down. When I’m out with him, people seem more inclined to look longer. Perhaps… You are just more intimidating.” Logan shrugged. Virgil looked down at himself for a moment, he was wearing his spiked-shoulder leather jacket, an emo band concert t-shirt, ripped black skinny jeans with fishnet patches behind the holes, and heavy black army boots. Remembering his black eyeshadow and how multiple people had told him he had “resting murder face” he began to laugh.

“…I can’t argue with that one.” He smirked as they walked into the bookstore. Logan instantly seemed to know where he wanted to go and Virgil just followed behind him. It wasn’t until Logan was holding multiple books about space in his arms that he noticed Virgil was just sort of just looking lost and standing idly.

“Virgil? Do you like to read?” Logan asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I.. uh.. I do. Yes. I just don’t know… What to read?” Virgil stammered a bit.

“Well, what have you enjoyed in the past?” Logan was only trying to be helpful and Virgil could tell from his tone, which really helped him feel more comfortable.

“Umm… I like some poetry that i’ve read. And um… I don’t really know? Fiction? I’ve really liked some darker stuff that i’ve seen.” He shrugged.

“I’m assuming Edgar Allen Poe and The Brothers Grimm?” Logan smirked a little but Virgil just looked at him blankly.

“…Why do people always guess that? What even are those?” Virgil seemed nearly frustrated and a little exasperated.

“…You don’t know Poe or Grimm? I would have guessed you had literally all of their works.”

“Whenever I’ve asked for recommendations the clerks just look at me and go, ‘probably something similar to Poe and Grimm, right?’ And… I get nervous and just nod.” Virgil explained with a blush. Logan never would have guessed the intimidating figure before him was one to get nervous in situations, but he chose to think more on that later.

“…I’m strangely excited to show these to you, if I’m being honest. Come on.” Logan snagged a couple books he had been looking at and led Virgil to the poetry section and grabbed an absolutely enormous book. He then headed to the fiction section and grabbed an equally gigantic compilation. They found some comfortable chairs and Logan handed the two books to Virgil before cracking into the ones he was holding himself.

They sat quietly, Virgil flipping through the books and Logan peering up at him every so often to see if was enjoying himself. Virgil’s face was pretty hard to read, so Logan wasn’t sure what the tall man’s thoughts were. They stayed there for a little while before Virgil abruptly closed the book he was looking at which caused Logan to look up with concern. Virgil’s face was still neutral but he had moved both books onto his lap and was looking over at Logan. Logan just silently flipped his hands over, palms up, in a gesture that seemed to ask, “Well?”

“I love these.” Virgil said calmly.

“I thought you would. To be honest when I saw your tattoo I assumed it was black because of Poe’s ‘The Raven.’ It seemed like something you’d enjoy.” Logan explained.

“I’ll have to be sure to read that one first and get back to you on that.” Virgil finally cracked an appreciative smile. Logan felt a strange joy spread through him as he stood and selected a few of the books from his pile.

“Coffee time?” Virgil asked.

“Coffee time.” Logan agreed.

The two paid for their books and began walking through the mall towards the specialty coffee shop. They walked quietly together, enjoying their mutual understanding through silence. As they neared the store they were headed toward they both froze when they heard what sounded like a shriek. They turned simultaneously to look in a nearby store and saw that it was in fact a shriek of joy as a small child walked out of the Build-a-Bear toy store with a new stuffed animal. They both looked into the brightly colored building for a few seconds before turning to one another.

“My brother would love that.” That said in unison before smirking and walking inside.

The two of them had never looked so out of place as they did standing inside a neon yellow stuffed animal factory, but here they were. A wary store clerk walked up to them, almost suspicious of their intentions.

“Can I assist you two, gentlemen?” The salesperson asked with a bit of concern in their voice.

“Perhaps. We are here to purchase gifts for our significant others. However, neither of us…?” Logan paused and looked up at Virgil who silently agreed. “Yes, neither of us have ever been in to one of these stores before.” Logan explained. The clerk seemed to relax completely at Logan’s explanation.

“Ah, that’s so sweet of you two! I’d be happy to help with that!” They were lead over to where all of the not-yet-stuffed animals were. The clerk gestured at the wall of options. “This is just a suggestion, but if this is a gift for a significant other, perhaps you could make bears of yourselves? I’m sure that they would enjoy that.” Virgil and Logan looked at each other and nodded once more.

“That sounds like a splendid idea.” Logan agreed.

“Great! I’ll help you make these just right!” The clerk answered excitedly.

They ended up selecting a chocolate brown puppy to represent Logan and a pale white cat to represent Virgil. Logan’s was moderately simple. His brown dog was wearing a black polo shirt, pale blue tie, dark blue jeans, black and white sneakers, and a black pair of glasses. It was essentially exactly him. Virgil’s was just about as simple. They found a purple t-shirt, a black hoodie, black pants, and black boots. Just as they were going to checkout, the clerk found a little leather jacket that Virgil added over the top of the hoodie.

“Perfect.” Virgil added with a small smile.

The two left, opting to put the stuffed animals in their bookstore bags and not in the brightly color toy bags or the large house shaped cardboard, and headed off to the coffee shop.

“Uncommon Grounds?” Logan asked with a slight exasperated sigh.

“…Yeah I know. Everything is puns. Let’s just go in.” Virgil chuckled a bit hollow and pushed the door open.

“Welcome to Uncommon Grounds! Are you here on some Beanormous mission or just Pro-caffeinating from your other responsibilities today?” The cashier called from the back of the shop.

“Knock it off, Reggie. It’s just me.” Virgil called.

“Oh thank god… I was not ready for anymore coffee puns right now.” Came an exhausted but still sassy sounding voice. The cashier walked up to the two of them and gave Virgil a fist bump. “Oh hello. Didn’t realize this tall piece of work had friends.” Reggie smirked at Logan and playfully elbowed Virgil.

“Oh ha ha, Regg. This is Logan, my… Brother?” Virgil shrugged. Logan blushed a little.

“I thought your brother was that.. You know… Tree.” He asked, reaching his hand up and gesturing to about Pat’s height.

“Well, I guess that makes Logan a pretty dedicated lumberjack, doesn’t it?” Virgil smirked and walked off to go look at coffee. Logan’s face turned beat red but Reggie just doubled over and clutched his sides in laughter.

“Message received. Alright, is there anything I can help you find?” Reggie finally asked Logan when he managed to stop laughing and wipe the tears from his eyes.

“I.. Uh.. I am unsure. I haven’t previously had any specialty coffee.” Logan said plainly, still coming down from his embarrassment.

“Oh then you are in the right place, James and the Giant Pat. Let me show you some things!” Reggie placed his arm around Logan’s shoulders and lead him around the spacious store.

Reggie began asking questions about what kinds of things Logan might like and what he’d be willing to try, pulling out several different blends for him to smell and getting a few samples for him to taste. Logan had never guessed there were so many different kinds of coffee. He ended up picking up a few to take home and a few to restock Patton’s house. It seemed like Reggie already knew what Virgil was looking for and had gotten his selections ready.

“Oh wait up a sec, Lankenstein.” Reggie suddenly said to Virgil before running to the back. He came back a minute later holding a huge tub of coffee. “You haaaaave to try this. It was just MADE to be an Irish Coffee.” He held out the tub for them both to smell.

“Hmm…” Virgil smelled it and turned to Logan. “Do you like Irish Coffee?”

“What is Irish Coffee?” Logan seemed curious.

“It’s an alcoholic coffee drink. It has whiskey in it.” Virgil explained, a glint forming in his eye.

“I haven’t tried it, I haven’t honestly had much alcohol to be honest.” He shrugged.

“Alright, Regg. Give us a bag of that. You have me intrigued.” Virgil laughed and paid Reggie for his purchases, sneaking and paying for Logan’s too. He protested slightly, but there wasn’t anything he could do, so he just thanked him and they went on their way. They were halfway out the door when Reggie called out to Logan.

“Oh and hey David! Good luck with Goliath! I would appreciate a full report!”

Logan’s face turned red all the way up to his ears and Virgil had to stifle a laugh into his hand as they left. They walked quietly, Logan’s face burning while Virgil was holding his tongue with his teeth to keep from laughing. Logan finally broke the silence.

“So.. How do you know that rather interesting character?” Logan asked quietly.

“Reggie? Oh we go way back. We went to high school together. And the summer after we turned twenty one we took some bartending classes together for the hell of it.” He smiled.

“You went to bartending school?” Logan was surprised.

“Yeah, just for fun in-between semesters of college. I majored in computer science with a minor in art.” He shrugged.

“That’s rather interesting. Do you believe that what you learned in school is useful to you now?” Logan asked curiously.

“Oh I guess. I do some website design and other IT consulting for the majority of my work, and I do some different art commissions and stuff online for fun.” Virgil commented offhandedly.

“What kind of art?”

“Uhh.. I don’t know? I mean.. Kinda cartoony most of the time, mostly realistic? Let me just…” Virgil pulled out his phone just as they reached his truck. They climbed in to the truck and Virgil scrolled through his phone a bit and handed it to Logan. “Here, that’s most of what I’ve posted online.” Virgil said simply and then began to drive them back to his place.

Logan silently observed the art on Virgil’s phone as they went, giving Virgil quite a bit of nervousness. He was being so quiet and his face was so plain that Virgil had no idea what he might have been thinking. Virgil would sneakily steal glances over at him but his expression never changed. They arrived home, Virgil finding a great parking spot pretty close to the front door, and he just parked and turned the car off. They sat in silence for a moment until Logan held out Virgil’s phone to him. He silently accepted it and just looked at Logan. Logan took a breath in and began to speak.

“Your art is very aesthetically pleasing. You have a very firm grasp on perspective and proportion which is refreshing to see, to be honest. The shading and color usage also denotes a wonderful sense of realism. And the fact that you can do different art styles is quite interesting, there are very few indicators that some of the pieces you showed me were done by the same artist. It is really quite impressive.” Logan said very matter of factly, causing Virgil’s cheeks to turn pink.

“Oh.. Umm… Thank you very much. I appreciate that.. uh.. Greatly.” He said quietly. They climbed out of the car with their purchases and made their way into the house, Virgil locking the door behind them.

“Alright then… Ready to try an Irish Coffee?” Virgil smiled and opened a very high cabinet, pulling down a couple different bottles of alcohol.

“Um, as I’ll ever be, I suppose?” Logan looked rather flustered.

“Lo, no pressure. If you don’t want to, it’s completely fine. I wouldn’t push something like this on you. And if you do try it, there is no pressure to like it either.” Virgil said very gently and honestly.

“It’s not that I’m uncomfortable… I just have never really found an alcohol I like. I don’t want to waste your’s.” Logan admitted.

“Oh, Lo. Don’t worry about that. Have you ever tried whiskey?” He asked, still sounding reassuring.

“No, I do not believe so.”

“Alright. I think this might work for you, based on what i’ve seen you like before. But again, no pressure.” Virgil smiled gently and went to work making the drinks. After a couple minutes he handed one drink to Logan and kept one for himself, holding the glass out for a toast.

“To your health.” Virgil laughed as they clinked glasses and Logan took a tentative sip, his eyes widening as he tasted it.

“Oh… This… Is very good.” Logan was surprised as he looked down into the glass.

“Sweeeet. My hunch was correct. One point for me.” Virgil laughed and took another big swig of his. “I’m just gonna… Make a whole bunch of this and we can drink and read? Does that sound good?” Virgil asked with an eyebrow raised.

“Yes. I would like that very much.” Logan went off to grab their books and place them on the coffee table while Virgil made a large pitcher of the spiked coffee drink. He made his way over to Logan and sat down near him on the couch, topping off both of their drinks. Virgil turned on his stereo moderately quietly and the two of them sat and read their books together.

They sat there for a good while, just enjoying their quiet friendship as they read their books and drank their coffee. It was really all they had planned for today. Without realizing it, the two of them made a very sizeable dent in the pitcher of coffee that Virgil had made them and Logan was feeling quite inebriated. Virgil obviously had a much higher tolerance for alcohol, but he was also fairly sure that the taller man had drank much more than he had.

Logan could feel the effects of the alcohol, he had never really been intoxicated before. But at least he felt safe where he was. He liked Virgil, Virgil was quiet and knew interesting stuff and was good at things and…

“Viiiirge… I haaave a queshtion!” Logan suddenly piped up, his voice a little too loud and a little too fast. Virgil placed his book down a bit too hard and Logan looked over him a moment.

Virgil’s cheeks and nose were dusted a bit pink and his eyes were just a little glazed over, but the mostly noticeable thing to Logan was the huge uncharacteristic smile on his face.

“What isssh it?” Virgil answered, a hint of a slur in his voice. Somewhere in the back of his mind he realized he may have made the Irish Coffee a bit too strong.

“Did yur tattooo huuurt? It’s sho.. uh.. I reaaally liiike it…” Logan managed.

“Not too bad… Buut I gah it uh looong time agooo…”

“I reeeally like tattooosh I thiiink…”

“Loooooo. I jusht had uh great ideaaaa!” He smiled wide and popped up off the couch, running upstairs. Logan vaguely heard some rustling around a little bit of profanity as Virgil seemed to bump into a few things, but he reappeared back downstairs only a few minutes later, now dressed in a tank top and what looked like pajama pants he had cut into shorts. In his hand was a metal pail.

“Whaaat’sh the ideaaaa?” Logan seemed beyond interested in what Virgil brought with him.

“From the cooool book I got today!” Virgil smiled huge and pulled a Sharpie out of the bucket.

He pulled his shorts up a bit and began to draw a detailed raven on his thigh. He showed it to Logan after it was done, even intoxicated Virgil was a pretty talented artist.

“Whoa… Quooth thuh Raven, nevermooore…” Logan quoted a bit, looking at Virgil’s leg. “Do anotha one!”

Virgil nodded vigorously and crossed his leg up into his lap, drawing on the side of his calf. When it was done, Logan looked at it for a while before a slow wave of understanding flashed through his slightly glazed eyes.

“Ooo… Is thaaa Go’fathuh Deaaath?” Logan looked at the detailed drawing of the grim reaped on Virgil’s leg, holding a sprig of a plant in one hand and a very short candle in the other.

“Yeeeee…” Virgil managed to ooze the sound out with joy.

“More more!” The cycle continued, Logan encouraging Virgil to continue to draw on his legs, and eventually his right arm, images from the Poe and Grimm books he had bought that day. Once it had gotten to the point where Virgil was out of space on his three easily accessible limbs, they sat and stared for a moment.

“….Do one on mee!” Logan piped up, giving Virgil his arm. With a giggle Virgil wrote, in very fancy script, E=MC2 on Logans wrist. They both cracked up laughing and Logan handed Virgil his phone. “Draaaw thiiish.” Virgil copied the strange pattern that was on Logan’s phone lock screen. It was a rectangle with some smaller boxes and a spiral going through it.

“There…” He finished and Logan looked down at his forearm.

“Oooo… Itsuh uhh.. Fib-.. Uh… Fibonassshi.. Fibonacciiiii Shpiral…” Logan began his wavering explanation of the spiral, Virgil staring at him blankly. At some point, Virgil went back to doodling all over Logan’s arms, different things he thought Logan would enjoy. Once he ran out of space, Virgil just stared at him. His eyes very slowly wandered around the room and settled on Logan’s book about stars.

“…Taaake offff your shiiirt.” Virgil said as he grasped the book and opened it to a huge star chart. Logan just looked at him for a moment, his eyes hazy, and just shrugged. He pulled his shirt off and threw it on the couch then laid down on the floor. Virgil put the book sitting upright against the couch and crouched down next to Logan. He began to draw the night sky and it’s constellations across Logan’s back.  Logan just delved right back into his lengthy and essentially unintelligible explanation about… Something Virgil was barely hearing, let alone understanding.

They were so wrapped up in drawing and talking, they didn’t hear the knocks on the door or the key in the lock. The door opened and the other two walked into the room and stopped dead in their tracks. Patton’s eyes were instantly wide, his hands flying to his mouth to conceal the sound of laughter. Roman just pulled out his phone and began recording the hilarious and rather cute event.

The two of them didn’t even seem to notice that the amount of people in the house had doubled and just continued on until Patton spoke up.

“Uh… You two ok?” He stepped in the house and crouched down on the floor near Logan’s head.

“Paaaat!” Logan smiled huge when he saw his boyfriend infront of him.

“Hello Lo… What are you two doing?” He asked with amusement in his voice.

“Viiiirge ish given me tattoooosh sho i caaaan bee cooool like you guuysh!” He said, his tone beyond excited. Patton had never seen Logan so out of character, but it made something inside him happy to see Logan in such a good mood.

“Aw, well that is certainly nice of him, isn’t it? Do you.. Umm… Wanna get up now? Maybe sit on the couch and drink some water?”

Logan just rolled onto his back and made grabby hands at Patton, like he was a kid who wanted to be picked up. Patton’s cheeks flushed a little, but he scooped Logan up off the ground and placed him softly on the couch.

“…You are shooo shtrong…” Logan marveled.

“I have to move bags of flour heavier than you, Lo. Now sit right there, I’m getting both of you some water.” Patton smiled and ruffled Logan’s hair before going off to the kitchen.

Roman had gone over to Virgil and had distracted him a bit from his artwork. As soon as Virgil saw Roman he began giggling and threw his arms around Roman’s shoulders, knocking them both over onto the floor.

“Rooooooo!” He smiled, hugging his boyfriend tight.

“Heya Virge… Are you alright?” Roman laughed, unsure what to make of Virgil’s happy mood.

“Oh.. I’m shoooo goooood… I haaad a good daaaay with Lo… But i misssshed yooooou…” He said, snuggling Roman closer. Roman’s cheeks were flushed red but he just stayed there with Virgil on the ground, somehow maneuvering himself to sit upright with Virgil somewhat in his lap. Virgil just smiled wide and held him close, letting Roman support the both of them.

Patton came back with some glasses of water and somehow managed to get them both to drink a full glass. They also eventually corralled both of them onto the couch and tucked them in with blankets, and more water, and turned a movie on. It didn’t take long at all before the two of them were fast asleep, leaned against each other.

“…Ok so… Was that at all what you were expecting to find when we got back?”

“…Not even kind of.”


	15. The Aftermath

Virgil found himself waking up, a hot mug in his hands and a taste of delicious coffee in his mouth. This had been how he had been waking up a lot more often lately and it was definitely better than anything else that had ever woken him.

“Hmm?” He spoke, his mind becoming less cloudy as the caffeine made its way into his system.

“Oh, that’s one for two thus far.” Roman laughed, plopping down next to him. Roman was in his pajamas, but Virgil realized they were on the couch, did they sleep down here last night? What.. What happened last night?

“Oh wait, I think we might be two for two.” Patton added. Virgil turned and saw Logan was sitting next to him and Patton was just past Logan. Logan was also groggily sitting there, slowly drinking coffee.

“So… How was your day yesterday, you two?” Roman chuckled.

“Umm… Good? I think?” Virgil thought a moment trying to remember. Why was his head so foggy?

“That’s great to hear. What did you two do?” Patton asked, laughter lining his tone as well.

“We.. First we went to the bookstore. I introduced Virgil to the work of Edgar Allen Poe and The Brothers Grimm… Then we went..” Logan paused and looked at Virgil. Virgil thought a moment and remembered what happened after that.

“Oh yeah!” Virgil smiled and reached behind the couch, grabbing their shopping bags. He peered into each and handed one to Patton and one to Roman. “After the bookstore we went and made these for you guys.” Patton and Roman curiously reached into the bags and pulled out the stuffed animals.

“Awwwww! This is adorable!” Patton squeaked, looking over the stuffed brown puppy that was dressed just like Logan. He hugged it close to his chest as he hugged Logan with his other arm.

“Aw… This is so cute. And it looks just like you, Cat-sper.” Roman smiled and held his emo cat in one arm and his emo boy in the other.

“After Build-a-Bear… We went to Uncommon Grounds and visited Reggie, we picked up a bunch of coffee, and then came back here.”

“Uncommon Grounds?” Roman asked with an eyebrow raised.

“It’s like Teavana, but with coffee. Virgil’s longtime friend is the manager there.” Patton explained. Roman nodded in understanding.

“Then we came back here… Oh and Virgil made Irish Coffee. We were drinking Irish Coffee and reading books… Then…” Logan trailed off and looked over at Virgil.

“Then, at some point you grabbed a sharpie and Virgil started drawing tattoos on the two of you.” Patton chuckled. Roman finally was able to laugh, he had been keeping it inside ever since the two had fallen asleep last night.

“…What?” Logan’s eyes went wide and he finally looked down at himself. He found himself shirtless and his arms covered in surprisingly well done sharpie drawings. Virgil was also studying his legs and right arm. The fact that the only arm that wasn’t drawn on was Virgil’s dominant one really showed exactly how that must have happened.

“That isn’t the best part!” Roman showed the two of them the video from his phone and watched as both of them blushed all the way from their necks to their ears. Afterwards, Logan stood up and went to the bathroom to look at his back in the mirror.

“…Well that certainly was a turn of events.” Logan finally managed.

“So uh… How was your day yesterday?” Virgil squeaked out, still not making eye contact with anyone.

“Oh we had a lot of fun! We went ice skating! Oh and we have presents for you guys too!” Patton smiled and went to the kitchen, coming back with the large mugs.

“Now this is enough coffee!” Virgil laughed as he held the giant mug in his hands. He didn’t realize at first that it was hand painted until he looked at the images on the sides more closely. There were two glasses with different colored drinks inside, a giant ice cream sundae, a stack of blocks, a basketball, a little fire ball, a tiny bulbasaur and charmander, a ferris wheel… All from the weekend they met and started dating. “Ro… This is amazing… I.. Love it.” Virgil said so honestly, his sincere half smile and sparkling eyes just melting Roman’s heart.

Logan was looking over the mug Patton had handed to him. To Virgil and Roman it just looked like Patton had painted the night sky. But not to Logan.

“Patton… Did you do all this?” Logan looked up at him, his mouth slightly open and his expression was one of complete awe. Patton just smiled and nodded.

“…Do you like it?” He asked a little nervously.

“It is magnificent. You did all of these stars so precisely! I recognize so many of these constellations… It’s perfect.” Logan smiled wide.

“Wait! It gets better!” Patton smiled and pulled Logan to the kitchen. They ran the mug under hot water and activated the heat sensitive paint. Once the mug became hot, the lines that traced the constellations appeared along with tiny inscriptions of their names.

“Pat… This is amazing. Thank you so much.” Logan smiled and wrapped his arms around Patton’s neck in a hug. Patton pulled him in close and hugged him tightly.

“I’m just happy you like it!”

The two eventually rejoined the other two still on the couch and found Virgil explaining the different drawings he had done on himself to Roman.  Logan and Patton sat down on the couch near them and Patton picked up the mug Roman had painted. Once Virgil had finished talking, Patton piped up.

“Hey Roman, can I ask what all these little pictures are? This is so adorable!” Patton asked, holding out the mug.

“Oh, uh..” Roman blushed a little. “Those are all from our first date. Well, except the first one. The two cups are from the night we met. All the others are from the night we out to dinner and then to the carnival on the pier. Actually, that sundae is the one you made us!” Roman smiled, gesturing to the images.

“Awww….. That’s so sweet!” Patton smiled, looking at the pictures more closely. Logan also peered over to see Roman’s handiwork.

Roman blushed a bit as everyone looked at the mug he had made. After a few moments the room devolved into moderately awkward silence.

“So… What do you guys all want to do today? It’s like… Sunday right?” Roman asked, looking down at his phone.

“It is indeed Sunday. And I am potentially willing to participate in activities… But I would like a shower first.” Logan stated, looking down at his sharpie covered arms.

“That might be a good idea…” Virgil agreed, also peering down at himself. “Although I don’t expect this to wash off for a couple days.”

“It probably won’t. But at least showers will get us all moving!” Patton smiled and stood, stretching his long arms above his head.

“We could just take showers here? I only have the one bathroom, but at least we will get progressing.”

“If you like, I could start making some breakfast, you three can probably all rotate in and out of the shower by the time it’s ready and I’ll grab a shower after?” Patton volunteered.

They all agreed and let Logan get the first shower while Virgil attempted to find food in his kitchen that Patton could work his magic on. There wasn’t much to work with, but Patton was able to make a pretty good meal out of almost anything.

After some finagling, and enough time for three showers, they sat down and ate their breakfast together. It ended up being some kind of tasty breakfast casserole that they all silently decided it was best not to ask the ingredients of. Afterwards, Patton went to take his shower and Logan volunteered to clean up breakfast, so Roman and Virgil sat back down on the couch together.

Virgil draped his around Roman and pulled him close, using his other arm to pull out his phone and scroll through his notifications. Roman settled against him and after a bit he pulled out his own phone, suddenly smirking at the last thing he had up. Hitting play on the video on his screen, he felt Virgil tense up and then let out a drawn out sigh.

“Ugh… Come on, Ro… Not that again.” Virgil playfully swatted at Roman’s phone in embarrassment. Roman just laughed a bit and closed the video, pausing a moment as a sudden thought entered his mind.

“Hey… What’s Pat like when he’s drunk?” Roman asked, a playful glint in his eye.

“I don’t know if Pat has ever been drunk, honestly. You know how much alcohol it would take? I bet his tolerance is impenetrable.” Virgil shrugged.

“We should go out tonight. Even if he was just a little tipsy, I bet that is a serious sight to see.”

“That could be fun. Just go out for a couple drinks all together, I imagine Logan will volunteer to DD after the… Event last night. Wanna go back to that bar where we met?” Virgil chuckled.

“Yeah that sounds good. I kinda wanna see if Pat is as much of a heavyweight as you think he is.” Roman laughed.

“I’d put money on it.” Virgil had a competitive look in his eye that Roman couldn’t ignore.

Unbeknownst to them, Patton was out of the shower and could hear them from where he stood at the top of the stairs. He smiled to himself at their conversation and pulled out his phone, sending off a quick text before putting it back in his pocket and coming down the steps, acting as if he had no idea what was going on.

Virgil and Roman stopped talking when they heard his heavy steps approaching and looked up as he reentered the room.

“Alright! I’m all clean! Did you guys come up with any ideas while I was gone?” Patton smiled wide, his usual happy demeanor nothing out of the ordinary.

“We were thinking it might be fun to go out tonight. We could all go to the bar where the two of us met. It could be kinda fun… None of us would have ever met if it wasn’t for that place.” Virgil shrugged nonchalantly.

“Oh thats so cute! I’d be up for that!” Patton smiled.

“…I’ll drive. I don’t think i’ll need to do anymore drinking for a little bit.” Logan added, walking in from the kitchen.

“Perfect! It’s still pretty early. Do you guys want to watch a couple movies or something for now?” Roman smiled, sitting up from the couch and popping over to Virgil’s movie collection.

“Sounds great.” Patton happily settled on the couch and Logan sat next to him.

–

They hung out for most of the day, deciding to take it easy until that night when they departed for the bar in Logan’s small SUV. It was strangely crowded for a Sunday night, but it wasn’t horrible. They were able to find a table for the four of them in the bar, but Roman was feeling a bit uneasy as soon as they had gone inside.

Patton and Virgil left Roman and Logan at the table, going up to the bar to get the drinks. It was fairly crowded and the two of them had a much easier time getting a bartender’s attention for obvious reasons. Logan excused himself to the bathroom after a few minutes, leaving Roman by himself.

/ _I’m fine, this is all fine…_ / He repeated in his head multiple times. He would only be alone for a few more minutes. He was fine… Last time was last time… That wouldn’t happen again.

“Oh heeeeey. It’s yooooou. I’ve beeeen looooooking for yaa.” Came a slurred voice from behind him.

“Uhhh…” Roman turned to see, of course, that same drunk guy from before.

“I waaaas thinkin bout yaaa… Glaaaad ta see you came baaack here.” He was approaching Roman, effectively pinning him back to the table. Roman swallowed hard, his heart racing as he pressed his back to the edge of the table.

“I uhh…”

“Hey. What did I tell you last time?” Virgil had placed a hand on the man’s shoulder and spun him to face him.

“Ooohhh it’s yooooou agaaain. Yooou dooon’t scaaaaaare me, ya damned tooooothpick.” He pressed his finger into Virgil’s chest, causing him to take an involuntary step back in surprise. “Yooou couldn’ do anythin ta meee if ya waaanted ta.” Virgil’s eyes widened a moment before he felt the man get quickly pulled away from him.

“What was that? You wanna run that by me instead?” Roman and Virgil both spun to look and saw that Patton had walked up, and he had grabbed the man by the front of the shirt and lifted him fully off the ground.

“Whaa…” Was all the drunkard was able to utter, his feet dangling several inches off the floor. His eyes were wide in terror.

“You listen here, and you listen WELL. If you ever, EVER come near my brothers again… I don’t even know what I’m gonna do. But trust me. Whatever you are imagining is a DREAM compared to what I’ll come up with.” Patton’s voice was low and dripping with acid, his eyes burning through to the back of the man’s skull. He let go of the drunk’s shirt and the man just crumpled to the ground. “Now get out.” Patton’s arms crossed over his chest as he watched the man scramble to his feet and look up at him. He, like the time prior, began to run off towards the front door in absolute terror but this time was stopped by the manager who was accompanied by Logan.

“This is the man who has continually been harassing my brother.” Logan angrily gestured to the man.

“Thank you sir, I will see he never returns to my establishment.” The manager led the man to the door and promptly kicked him out.

Logan returned to the other three of them, nodding purposefully as he joined them. They all slowly turned to Roman.

“I’m sorry, Ro… I never should have left you by yourself… That was on me.” Virgil apologized, looking down at the floor.

“I could have waited until they returned to go to the restroom, I shouldn’t have left you.” Logan added. Roman just looked back and forth between them before leaping at Patton. Luckily, Pat caught him.

“That was so cool! You picked him up by his shirt! He was so scared!” Roman was gushing. Patton’s cheeks turned pink and Virgil playfully slapped Pat’s shoulder.

“Yeah! I’ve never seen you be so scary! That was amazing, Pat!” Virgil smiled.

“I.. uh…” Patton just smiled and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand once he had sat Roman back down.

The four of them sat down around the table and began on the drinks Virgil and Patton had brought back. Patton also ordered several appetizers for the table which they happily munched on. Roman and Virgil shared a side-eyed glance. Food would definitely keep them from getting intoxicated as quickly but they were hoping to see at least a tipsy Pat. So Virgil and Roman kept ordering rounds of drinks, never pushing but just offering to buy rounds and rounds. Logan sat with them, contently drinking his soda.

It seemed like they were more drinks deep than they could count and Patton didn’t seem to even flinch. He was happily drinking his down, still sitting up straight, his eyes focused, no pink in his cheeks, and his language fully coherent. The same could not be said for Roman and Virgil. In their attempt to drink with Patton and get him a bit tipsy… The two of them were pretty much gone. Logan looked a cross between concerned and terrified for Patton’s health, but Patton gave him a subtle glance that reassured him he would get the real story later.

“So, do you two want to do another round? Or should I settle our tab now?” Patton asked, putting his empty glass down on the table.

“Uhh…”

“Whaaaa…”

“Sounds great! Logan, keep an eye on them, ok?” Patton smiled cheerily and stood, walking up to the busty blonde girl at the bar.

“Heya Pat! How were your drinks tonight?” She smiled slyly.

“Tasty! A lot like… Non-alcoholic fruit punch with a little bit of bitters in it.” He chuckled.

“Well when I saw your text, I knew what I needed to do. Do you think your brothers will be alright?” She peered past Patton to the table where Logan was just kind of staring at the barely conscious Virgil and Roman.

“Aw, don’t worry about them. Virge has done much worse.”

“Alright, Well… Make sure you get them home safe, alright?”

“Come on, Charlotte. It’s me.” Patton laughed.

“True, I forgot I was talking to the puffball of the millennium here. Well… Just one question.” Charlotte smiled with a playful look in her eye.

“And what would that be, my friend?” Patton chuckled as he handed over his card to settle their check.

“Who’s the nerd?” She asked as she ran his card and handed it back to him. Patton looked over his shoulder and saw Logan, trying to get Virgil and Roman to drink some water. He just smiled to himself.

“That’s Logan. He’s my boyfriend.” He answered happily. He looked down to sign the receipt and when he looked up, Charlotte was gone. He turned back to Logan and saw she had bounded over to him. He just laughed and headed over there, finding Charlotte giving Logan a moderate talking to.

“…and he’s so sweet! He’s always been like that, ok? I’ve known him since he was a teenager and it’s not an act. You better be good to him! I swear to god if you ever hurt him…”

“CHARLOTTE… Please do not read Logan the riot act. He is a good guy.” Patton placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Charlotte… I am happy that Patton has such a dedicated friend. I swear that I would never do anything to cause any kind of harm to this spectacular man. He has proven to be nothing short of the best person I have ever had the fortune to know.” Logan said directly. Charlotte and Logan had a short staring match, as if she was trying to determine that whatever he said was genuine.

“Good.” She held out her hand to shake which Logan accepted.

“You two are so cute!” Patton smiled and wrapped his arms around both their shoulders, pulling them in for a hug.

“PAT… I’m not cute!” Charlotte adorably stamped her foot in defiance.

“We aren’t getting into this for the 900th time, Char. Now I think Logan and I need to get our brothers home.” Patton laughed. Logan and Charlotte turned to Virgil and Roman who were essentially asleep at this point.

“The little one looks interesting… I’m going to have to meet that one eventually.” She laughed.

“You are only saying that because he’s smaller than you.” Patton laughed.

“…You don’t know me.”

“Of course of course. Now, I’ll text you when we’re all safe. Good night, Char.” Patton smiled as he helped Virgil up and Logan tended to Roman.

“Night Pat, Nice to meet you, Logan. I have no doubt our paths will cross again.” Charlotte laughed.

“Likewise, Charlotte.” And with that, they loaded up into the car and left.


	16. Halloween

A few months passed by, much more quickly than anyone would have realized, and the next thing they knew, it was October 1st. Or as Roman and Virgil would call it, Halloween 1st.

It was 11am when Virgil’s front door bust open, an occurrence he had gotten rather used to at this point, and Roman rushed in.

“What’s up, Mini Wheat?” Virgil called, curled up on his couch with a cup of coffee.

Roman threw himself on the couch next to Virgil, holding a sketchbook and a pen.

“It’s Halloween! I have to start planning the theater’s costume party!” Roman smiled wide and tossed open his sketchbook, showing Virgil the drawing he had done of the stage area and the decorations he was planning.

“Alright, and you need my help? Or.. Input? Or…” Virgil seemed confused.

“I need something much more important than just that!” Roman was basically vibrating with excitement.

“And what on Earth could that be?” Virgil raised an eyebrow.

“What do you want to be for Halloween? The stage manager has to be in the BEST costume. A couple’s costume, of course.”

“Ah. Gotcha.” Virgil relaxed a bit.

“So. What do you want to be?!”

“Uhh.. Slenderman?”

“How are we supposed to be a couple’s costume if you do that?”

“You could be a page.”

“No.”

“Fiiiine. What do you want to be?” Virgil playfully groaned, but he grew a little more concerned as Roman flipped another page and revealed a long list of potential couple’s costume ideas.

“Calvin and Hobbes?”

“No.”

“Ash and Pikachu?”

“No.”

“Gandalf and Frodo?”

“No.”

“Santa and an elf?”

“That’s Christmas.”

“Not even the Will Ferrell version?”

“Still Christmas.”

“Big Bird and Elmo?”

“I don’t do primary colors.”

“You are more of an Oscar anyway.”

“Oh Ha. Ha.”

“Hagrid and Harry Potter?”

“I’m not the right kind of big for Hagrid.”

“…A broomstick and Harry Potter?”

“NO.”

“Chewbacca and Han Solo?”

“ehh…”

“Willy Wonka and an Oompa Loompa?”

“…You wanna be an Oompa Loompa?”

“…Luigi and Mario?”

“Waluigi and Wario?”

“…Waluigi and Mario?”

“No deal.”

“Groot and Rocket?”

“That would be too complicated.”

“Ugghhh.” Roman sighed dramatically. “Were gonna be Jack and Sally aren’t we?”

“…Yeah, probably.”

“Ok. But, we are going to have to decide on something else in the future. We aren’t going to be them every year, you know?” Roman laughed and Virgil just smirked.

“Hmm..” Virgil pondered a moment. “I bet Pat and Lo would be Oogie Boogie and the Mad Scientist.”

“… I’m calling them right now.” Roman seemed extremely excited to have more people involved.

“Do you want even more people? I’m sure we could get at least a couple more.” Virgil asked, noting how happy he seemed.

“Ooo, who else could we have?”

Virgil smirked and grabbed his phone, sending a couple text messages off. By the end of the morning they had managed to convince Logan and Patton as well Virgil’s friend Reggie, Reggie’s girlfriend Julia, and Patton’s friend Charlotte to participate. They worked out that they would have Virgil as Jack, Roman as Sally, Patton as Oogie, Logan as Dr. Finkelstein, Reggie as Lock, Julia as Shock, and Charlotte as Barrel. Roman was ecstatic. Now that that was decided, Roman focused on working out everything else. 

* * *

Normally this occupied most of his October, but now that he had the Smalls, things were a lot simpler. Virgil offered to help him come up with a “signature cocktail” for the party, Patton had connections to get the event catered and he also offered to make some adorable halloween themed treats, he didn’t have to recruit any actor friends to help do the decorating with all the tall people he had on hand, Virgil was going to paint any props and masks for their costumes, and Julia was handy with a sewing machine and agreed to help sew the costumes.

By the second week of October, everything was figured out. Patton was trying out different desserts and sending Roman pictures of possibilities nearly every day, and today Virgil and Roman were going to hit up BevMo to get some different alcohols to design Roman’s perfect halloween punch.

* * *

They pulled up to the store and the two of them walked in holding hands. Virgil seemed to know exactly where he wanted to go, but Roman lagged behind to look at all of the Halloween themed cups and decorations. Virgil decided to let him shop while he grabbed what they came for. Once he was out of sight, a rather tall store employee strolled up to Roman.

“Hello there, anything I can help you with today?” She asked smiling.

“I’m doing alright, thank you so much!” He answered in his regal tone. He watched as she shifted awkwardly and moved ever so slightly closer to him.

“May I ask you something? Potentially… Personal?” She asked, quietly. Roman was slightly taken aback.

“Umm.. Sure?”

“Are you dating that tall emo guy?” She asked, Roman unable to decipher her tone.

“Uh.. Yeah. I am.” He answered, a little concerned. A playful smiled spread across her face and she stepped back away from him.

“Aw man.. I always wondered why he never seemed to notice I was flirting with him! You know how hard it is find cute guys who are taller than me?! Ugh.. He doesn’t have a brother, does he?” She answered in a playfully dejected tone. Roman laughed slightly.

“Well.. I have good news and bad news for you, dear. Good news… He does in fact have a brother. An even taller brother. Bad news… His brother.. Is dating my brother.” Roman explained with a chuckle. She laughed in spite of herself and dragged her hands down her face.

“Damn you, you adorable gays!” She laughed and shook her fist. The two of them laughed a moment before Virgil reappeared, holding a shopping basket full of bottles.

“You ready to go, Thumbelina?” Virgil smirked. Roman laughed and grabbed Virgil’s free hand as they walked to the cash register.

“As I’ll ever be, Beanstalk.”

The two of them checked out and headed home, Virgil making several halloween themed cocktails for Roman to sample. Roman never had so many people helping him with his preparations before and it was all coming together so well!

* * *

He and Virgil eventually came up with two separate drinks, a neon green alcoholic drink they were going float red apples in and call “Poison Apple Punch” and a blood red non-alcoholic punch they were calling the “Zombie Attack.”

 He and Patton had decided on individual cups of “Graveyard” puddings, “Witch Finger” green chocolate dipped pretzels, sugar cookie “Zombie”  men, dipped and decorated Oreos that looked like Jack Skellington, and hand-sized “Jack-o-Lantern” apple pies.

Roman met up with Julia a few weeks before the event and the two of them got measurements of all the people in their group so that they could work on making the costumes. Roman immediately took a massive liking to her. It definitely was because she was a fun, talented person and had absolutely nothing to do with her gorgeous red hair or enchanting posh accent… A posh accent he definitely wasn’t spending a fair amount of his alone time trying to replicate.

Together they put in a lot of work on all of the group’s costumes, the 7 foot Oogie Boogie suit definitely taking the most effort out of both of them. Along with Virgil’s hand painted masks for Lock, Shock, and Barrel, the costumes they made came together beautifully. Julia and Virgil also helped Roman on the actual day of with all of the makeup work. Roman never guessed having two edgy people on hand would be so helpful for costume makeup, apparently being skilled at black eyeshadow and lipstick was only the very first level of their skill.

* * *

They had all arrived a decent amount of time early to get everything ready for the party. Reggie texted Roman just before he was supposed to be there, asking if dogs were allowed in the theater, much to Roman’s confusion. He hesitantly agreed and barely 10 minutes later Reggie strolled in, in full devilish Lock costume, walking an adorable dog dressed in a Zero costume.

“PUPPY!” Called Patton exuberantly, a strange sight to see from the enormous and intimidating Oogie Boogie himself, as the dog came into view.

“Aww… What a nice touch!” Roman smiled and bent down to pet the schnauzer in the white sheet.

The last couple things that needed to get done where a handful of decorations that Roman wanted to hang from the ceiling. They didn’t have too much time left before people would begin arriving, so Roman was a little hesitant to try and find the ladder. In a move almost no one expected, Patton and Virgil shared a look, and Patton knelt down on the ground and Virgil hopped up on his shoulders. When Patton straightened up, Virgil moved to his feet and everyone was suddenly staring at about somewhere around 13 feet of Small. Virgil was able to affix the final decorum up where a stunned Roman was pointing before sliding back down to sit on Patton’s shoulders, and then being let to the ground.

“…Have you two done that before?” Logan managed to ask. Virgil laughed a little.

“We have, in fact.” Virgil said confidently.

“Virgil…” Patton muttered under his breath.

“Ok fine. We’ve only done that in a pool. But hey, were fine.” He shrugged. Roman just face-palmed and Patton shrugged.

“Wow. That is not what I expected to see.” Came a voice from behind them. They turned and found a rather tall person standing there in an adorable Rainbow Dash costume. Roman rushed forward.

“Chess! You’re early!” Roman pulled her into a hug.

“Usually you need help with the tall stuff…” She seemed stunned, staring at the enormous Oogie and Jack. “I see you solved that issue though.” Roman blushed.

“Yeah… This is my boyfriend Virgil and his brother Patton. And over here is my brother Logan, and our friends Charlotte, Reggie, and Julia. Everyone this is Chess! She was the tallest around here.. Until recently.” He laughed.

“Nice to meet you all.” She replied and moved to join them all a bit more, rather than standing stunned in the wings. As time passed more and more people arrived, all of them fairly impressed with the set up that Roman had orchestrated. Everytime another person arrived, Roman would do a handful of introductions before leading them over to someone who he knew they’d get along well with.

Roman buzzed around the party, mingling with just about everyone.

“Alex! Oh my gosh I looove the Sherlock costume! You look dashing! You have to show my brother Logan, he will freak!”

“Ana, are you Frisk? Cuuuute! Just wait until Sid gets here, he’s gonna love it! Oh and I keep meaning to introduce you to Patton! He played Ice Hockey when he was young you know, he has some serious moves on the ice! Not like your’s, of course!”

“Minami! I’m looooving the Simon Blackwell! You have to show my boyfriend Virgil! He loved those games too!!”

“Oh Morticia! I am living for your Evil Queen right now. You’ll have to try to Poison Apple Punch! Have you met my brother Logan? I feel like you two would really get along!”

“Queenie! Is that Chat Noir?! Come talk to Charlotte! She would love that show!”

“Sid, that is a terrifying vampire costume. I love it! Come check out this Zombie punch, I think it’ll work well with those fangs! And you just have to see what Ana is dressed as!”

“Oh my gosh, Audrey! Is that Kyoya?! I looove it! You have to meet my brother, he’s basically a real life Kyoya. Oh and come meet Patton too! He’s the tallest Honey-Senpai you’ll ever meet!”

“Sam! You are rocking that Laslow! Fire Emblem, right? Oh my god this costume is PERFECTION!”

“Rianna, I’m so glad you are here! I need you to meet Logan, you both keep talking to me about space and science and I have no idea what either of you are talking about… Your Blossom costume is ADORABLE by the way!”

“Sarah, please tell me that you are Agent Coulson right now! That is giving me so much life, I can’t even. Oh I keep meaning to talk to you about my screenplay, I read some of your articles and was wondering if we could talk about some writing!”

Everything was going great, Roman was in his element. There was only a slight hiccup when Roman heard a high pitched squeal and became very concerned for a moment, only to realize that another guest had arrived.

“Aww! Looks at this adorable little.. umm.. Chiot!” She smiled and bent down petting Reggie’s dog. Reggie raised an eyebrow and walked over to the newcomer.

“I think the word you are looking for is “puppy,” Amie. Parles-tu Français?” Reggie smiled.

“Oui! Plus que l’anglais! Ravie de vous rencontrer, je suis Josiane.” Josiane smiled.

“Le plaisir est le mien! Je suis Régis. D’où viens-tu?” Reggie responded happily.

“Je suis du Québec! Vous?”

“La République démocratique du Congo!”

Roman was a bit surprised, he had no idea Jo or Reggie even spoke French, and he certainly didn’t speak it. So he just left them to it.

* * *

The party eventually wound down, everyone having a great time. The snacks were pretty much decimated, and Jack Skellington was maybe a liiiittle tipsy. Most of the guests had begun leaving since it was getting late.

Virgil wandered over to Patton, who had taken off his mask at some point, and threw an arm around his shoulders.

“Hey Paaaat.” Virgil smiled a little too wide.

“What’s going on, Virge?” Patton put an arm around Virgil’s waist, hoping he didn’t notice it was more to aid in his brother’s stability that anything else.

“Wanna bob for apples?” Virgil laughed and pointed at the last of the punch, apples still floating around in it. Patton pondered a moment, realizing both of them still had a fair amount of makeup on and it might not be the best idea… But the party was basically over and he didn’t get a lot of opportunities to do silly things with his brother.

“Sounds fun!” Patton smiled wide and lead his brother over to the very large punch bowl. The others all slowly followed them with their eyes, watching with great curiosity.

The two of them dunked their faces in the punch bowl, causing Reggie, Charlotte, and Julia to all begin laughing at their antics. Roman and Logan looked at each other and playfully rolled their eyes and they walked over on either side of them. They could tell Patton was just enjoying his brother’s silly antics, not really trying to win. It took much longer than it should have, but Virgil eventually pulled out an apple with his teeth. Patton popped out immediately after.

“Aw Virge you won! Good job, Kiddo!” Patton laughed a little, loving how happy Virgil looked.

“I am the champion!” Virgil laughed, and Roman wrapped his arm around his waist and lead him to the couch where the other three were sitting. Logan just looked up at Patton, a smirk playing on his lips.

“You… Are amazing. Do you know that?” Logan slowly asked, pink dusting his white painted cheeks.

“Oh, I don’t know about that, Lo. Just wanted Virgil to have some fun.” Patton laughed a bit but also felt his cheeks warming up.

“That’s precisely what I mean.. You are just… I don’t know how to explain… It’s…” Logan’s face was only getting redder.

“Just… Say what you feel, Lo. Just let it out. Don’t think about it.” Patton spoke, his eyes sparkling the more Logan looked at him.

“I…” Logan paused, looking up into Patton’s eyes. Without thinking, he reached up and put his arms around Patton’s neck, bringing him down to his eye level. Just before he pressed their lips together, he whispered. “Patton… I love you.”

They kissed, Patton’s eyes flying open for a moment in surprise before he closed them again and gave in to the kiss.

“…I love you too, Logan.”


	17. Halloween 32nd

All in all, the Halloween party had been a great success. It had gone pretty late but, with everyone in his group helping out, they managed to get it cleaned up in a relatively timely manner. Roman stayed over at Virgil’s, after he drove the tipsy giant home he was just too tired to drive back to his own apartment.

Roman awoke the next morning, much later than was usual for him, and glanced over at Virgil’s alarm clock to see it was already after 10 am. He had been exhausted last night so it only made sense that he had slept in. What was weird though was…

“Virgil?” Roman called, not feeling or seeing his tall boyfriend in the bed or surrounding bedroom.

That was weird, Virgil had literally never woken up before him. Ever. Roman rolled out of bed, checking the bathroom and the kitchen but not finding him. He was going to have to search the apartment top to bottom to locatehim… The strange giant tended to fall asleep in weird places, afterall. Roman pulled out his phone to see if he had any texts from him or anything that could be considered a clue, but as he did so, he heard a key in the front door lock. It sounded like the person was struggling with the lock, so Roman went to the door and pulled it open.

There in the doorway he found Virgil, fully dressed and awake, his arms heavy with shopping bags. They were all different bags as well… It looked like he had gone to every nearby grocery store, as well as at least one Target, a Wal-Mart, and a couple pharmacies. Virgil smiled down at Roman, noting he had obviously just rolled out of bed and was dressed in nothing but a pair of pajama pants.

“Good morning, Tater Tot. Just waking up?” Virgil smirked, conveniently ignoring the fact that he hadn’t been awake this early since having met Roman.

“What’s got you up so early, French Fry?” Roman eyed the bags that Virgil was carrying as he walked past him to the coffee table.

“It’s one of the best days of the year! Don’t you know?” Virgil called as Roman shut the door and came up from behind him. Roman looked at the calendar, confused.

“…November 1st?”

“No. Halloween 32nd.”

Virgil smirked as he poured the bags out onto the table one at a time, revealing they were all stuffed to the brim with Halloween candy. Roman watched incredulously as the mountain of sweets became comically large.

“Halloween 32nd… The day the Halloween candy goes on sale. So… What? We binge on candy all day?” Roman smirked, folding his arms over his bare chest.

“Exactly. And it’s amazing.” Virgil laughed, settling on the couch to begin sorting the candy.   
  
“Alright… Well I want you to know that I am putting you on a workout regimen pretty soon here.” Roman laughed and sat next to him, helping him begin to sort it all out.  
  
It was several minutes of sorting when Roman’s phone began ringing and he looked down to see who it was.

“Oh shoot, thats my Assistant Stage Manager. I need to take this. I’ll be back to help you in a little bit, ok?” Roman gave Virgil a quick kiss on the cheek and moved over to the dining table with a pen and a notebook. It seemed like Roman had to plan out some upcoming shows, so Virgil just finished sorting the candy and decided to wait for him.

The phone call was taking a little longer than expected so Virgil decided to do some art, and ended up grabbing his, frankly enormous, drawing tablet and curling up around it on the couch to draw. He hadn’t drawn in a while, and was having a little trouble with his proportions. There was something about this figure that wasn’t coming out right. Was it the pose? Maybe… The foreshortening? Hmm.

He let his head slump back, glancing over at Roman. He was still dressed in nothing but sleep pants, his chest bare. He was so muscular and toned, his arms and chest were sculpted so… Wait. He looked down at his drawing. That was the problem. He did the muscles funny. Virgil went back to drawing, looking up at Roman for reference multiple times. At one point, Roman stretched his arms up above his head, Virgil hurrying to try and copy the way he looked when he was stretched out.

This process continued for the rest of Roman’s phone call, Virgil stealing glances up at him, looking at him in a completely new way. Once he finally finished the call and stood, Virgil instinctively grabbed his own cell phone.

“Hey Ro. Do me a favor. Reach both your arms up as high as you can.” Virgil held up his phone, Roman complied without asking. Virgil took a few pictures. “Ok, can you do like… A lunge, but stretch one arm out to the front and the other to the back.” Once again, no questions asked. “Awesome. Stand straight on, but flex.” This continued on for some time, Virgil taking pictures of Roman in a dozen different poses before plopping back down on the couch and sending the pictures to his tablet.

Roman plopped down on the couch next to him, looking at the massive tablet and the pictures Virgil had just taken.

“That was fun! …Why did we do all that?” Roman laughed, somewhat at the situation and somewhat at his willingness to participate in an impromptu photoshoot without asking questions.

“I needed reference material, I usually only have me and I don’t have any tone.” Virgil said absently mindedly as he went back to his drawing.

“Oh.. Well I’m glad I could help! What is this giant thing?” Roman looked at the giant tablet, it was over two feet wide and had to be heavy.

“It’s my art tablet, I use it to draw. It also has… Like photoshop on it, basically. Without getting too crazy into the explanations.” Virgil shrugged and took another minute to do a few more lines before setting the tablet down next to him. He looked up at Roman before they both turned back to the giant piles they had made of candy.

“So, how do you want to do this? Movies and snacking? See who can eat the most without getting sick? We could make a game out of it!” Roman exclaimed, a competitive glint in his eye. Virgil pondered a moment, he had never had his horrible candy binge day with anyone before. He popped up and went to his closet and pulled down a box from high up on a shelf.

“How about we do all of them? We put on some movies, play a game, and see who can handle the most? And I have the perfect game to play…” Virgil turned and showed the game box to Roman.

The most infamous of all games. The great equalizer. More relationships ruined than even the dreaded Uno Draw Four.

“It’s Monopoly time.” Virgil said with a wicked grin. “Drinking game rules. Whenever you lose money, eat a piece of candy. How about 1 piece every time you lose money, an extra piece for every multiple of 100.”

“So one piece of candy if i lose like, $75? But two pieces for $100, three for $200 and so on?” Roman asked as Virgil came over to him with the game box.

“Yep. Get ready for a candy coma like you wouldn’t believe. Because i’m gonna wipe the floor with you right now, half pint.” Virgil laughed as he picked up the remote and put on a movie to watch in the background.

“Bring it on… Full pint?”

“That didn’t even make sense.”

“Shut up and hand out the money so I can start winning.”

The game started out as normally as it could, the two of them sitting on the floor on either side of the coffee table. Roman was playing as the top hat and he insisted Virgil play as the shoe.

“Why do I have to be the shoe?”

“Because… Hats are up higher than shoes.”

“…Alright, munchkin.”

The first few rounds went as well as they could, every once in a while someone would have to eat a piece of candy because of luxury tax or buying houses. Things didn’t really get to be a big deal until Roman was the first to get all three of one color. Not only did this do wonders for his ego, but the candy started disappearing much more quickly after that. Roman was spending money to add more houses every time that Virgil had to pay him for landing there. No one was really winning on the candy front since they both had to pay rather consistently.  
  
The tables turned though when Virgil managed to get Boardwalk and Park Place, the two most expensive properties on the board, and load them up with hotels. The first time Roman landed on that insanity he was completely out of money and he had a small mountain of candy in front of him. Virgil opened his mouth to tell him he didn’t have to eat it all if he didn’t want, but the determination and overall stubbornness in Roman’s expression caused him to just sit quietly.

Roman began powering through his small candy mountain, Virgil watching with a smirk. After a minute or so Roman let out a small groan of defeat and slumped onto his back on the floor.

“Did you go a little too far, shortcake?” Virgil laughed and stood, walking around the table over to Roman. He scooted the table away and looked down at his suffering boyfriend.

“Hhhh… Too much candy.” Roman whined, pouting his lip a little and holding his slightly bloated stomach.

“Aww, come here.” Virgil chuckled a little and scooped up the overly full man in his arms. He gently laid Roman down on the couch, settling behind him so Roman’s head was in his lap. He began to slowly run his fingers through Roman’s soft hair while he let him relax and digest. They had several minutes of quiet, Virgil simply playing with Roman’s hair and Roman relaxing. It wasn’t for a good while before Roman broke the silence.

“…Thanks for taking care of me, string bean.” He smiled up lovingly up at Virgil, still leaned over him. “But i’ll have you beat next time.” Virgil let out a short breath of laughter.

“Learn your limits, you dork. Ugh, you are so ridiculous. Remind me again why I.. I.. uh..” Virgil started off playful and confident, but his sentence slowly broke off into an embarrassed whisper as his cheeks turned a little pink. Roman could see the embarrassment on Virgil’s face, but he wasn’t letting this one go.

“Why you what, Virge?” Roman inquired, gently.

“…I love you.” He said, his mouth turning into a small smile. Roman’s heart swelled, but he didn’t want to make Virgil too uncomfortable with a dramatic display. Not yet at least. Instead he cocked his eyebrow and let out a low chuckle.

“…Do you, like, have a crush on me or something?” His eyes were twinkling a little, hoping Virgil would appreciate the lightness and not think he was avoiding what he said. He watched as Virgil’s shoulders relaxed and his head fell back, small laughter shaking in his chest. Virgil reached over to the coffee table and grabbed a single piece of candy, chucking it onto Roman’s still bloated stomach. Roman dramatically clapped his hands on the spot, making an exaggerated “Oof!” Sound.

“…Why do you wound me so, my love?” Roman replied. Virgil’s cheeks began to turn bright red and he turned his head away from Roman a bit.

“Lord. Why do I even try with you?” He laughed, still hiding his blush. Roman reached up with his arms and wrapped around Virgil’s neck, pulling his attention back down onto him.

“Because you love me. And I love you too.” Roman smiled, lifting his head up while Virgil leaned down and they shared a soft, and upside down, kiss.


	18. Suddenly Italian

November moved forward fairly calmly, the second Saturday of the month finding all four of them hanging out over at Patton’s house. They ended up moving the monthly game night to Patton’s, seeing as it was a little more suited to all of them being able to sit comfortably. Almost all of Logan’s games had migrated over to the larger house, it made more sense to have them there and it was where Logan had begun spending most of his time anyway. Virgil and Roman were quietly betting on when they thought Logan would just up and move in with Patton entirely, it seemed like the only logical conclusion.

But for now, the bets could wait, they were all casually hanging out in the living room deciding what game to play next. Before they came to their decision, both Logan and Roman’s phones buzzed in unison. The two of them looked down at their phones and saw a new message in the family group chat that they had with their parents. Roman smiled, he got a text like this every year.

> Papá😓 : So boys, your beautiful mother is wondering if we should be expecting any extra guests this year for Thanksgiving.

Roman generally was in some sort of romantic entanglement, his parents having met a slew of interesting people over the years. Logan had never been in a relationship before, Roman was fairly certain at least, so he was excited to see what his parents would say when they saw his serious older brother with such an adorable significant other. He smiled as he looked up, seeing both the Smalls looking at the two of them, still not knowing why they were both texted at the same time.

Suddenly Roman became a bit nervous. Would it be weird to invite them both to Thanksgiving with their parents? Did they have somewhere else to be? Roman didn’t really know much about their family situation, it had never come up. Logan would know what to do… But how could he ask Logan in front of them without being awkward? He suddenly had an idea. He turned to his brother with a little smirk on his face.

“Lo?” Roman asked, prompting everyone to look at him.

“What is it, Roman?” Logan raised an eyebrow.

“Dici che sarebbe opportuno invitarli?” Roman rattled off in Italian, surprising both Virgil and Patton who had no idea Roman spoke another language. Logan seemed a little surprised, but simply crossed his arms over his chest and shut his eyes.

“Why wouldn’t it be?” He asked, a little annoyed.

“Non sappiamo come sia la loro situazione familiare.” Roman explained.

“Oh. I see. Well… I don’t see the harm in asking.” Logan uncrossed his arms, now understanding what Roman’s hesitation was.

“…Don’t worry about it Roman, we don’t have anywhere else to be that day if you wanted us. You are looking at all of us.” Patton suddenly added with a little smirk, cuing a bright red blush across Roman’s cheeks and a look of confused admiration from Logan.

“Oh so now I’m the only one who doesn’t speak Italian?!” Virgil burst out, having no idea what was going on. Patton laughed.

“I don’t speak Italian, Virge. But I know conversational Spanish from working in the kitchen for so long… Italian and Spanish are fairly similar and I pieced together some keywords.” Patton shrugged. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop… But from what I picked up… Something about inviting us to something. And also what our family situation is?” Patton smiled. Logan couldn’t help but be completely enamored by Patton all over again, he always surprised the rest of them with his unexpected strokes of genius.

“Umm.. Yeah. I just… I’d love for you guys to come to our parent’s house for Thanksgiving! If you wanted to.. But I wasn’t sure if you two might have somewhere else to be…” Roman was blushing bright red. Virgil finally nodded in understanding, glad to be back in the loop.

“Well, we would love to come. And as far as the two of us know… The Small family is… Us two. We’re all we got.” Patton shrugged.

“Oh. Um.. May I ask? Did.. Something happen?” Roman asked, very carefully.

“Well, sorta I guess? Mom passed away when we were very young. We grew up with our Nan, but she passed away when we were teenagers. Dad… Never in the picture.” Virgil just shrugged nonchalantly. Patton looked away a moment, seeming like something was on his mind, but he was choosing not to say anything. They didn’t press the issue.

After a moment, Patton stood and walked over to the front entrance, reaching up and pulling a picture down from the wall, bringing it back over to show Roman and Logan. The two of them looked over the photograph, seeing young teen versions of Patton and Virgil standing on either side of a tiny old woman. They both smiled wide at the photograph, the two of them positively dwarfed the woman between them. Patton had a huge wide grin, his freckles even more prominent in his youth. Virgil seemed to have already settled into his dark style, the emo eyeshadow and nearly all black clothing all in place.

“That’s our Nan.” Patton gave a small smile and moved back to his seat.

“Aww… Look at you two…” Roman cooed a little.

“…Quite precious.” Logan added quietly.

They looked over the framed photo a moment but were quickly interrupted.

“Hey wait! Are we glossing over the fact that you can speak Italian?” Virgil interjected.

“Oh! It just never came up! Our mom was born in Italy, our grandparents still live over there. So our mom kinda raised us on both languages.” Roman shrugged.

“Oh, well… That’s.. uh. Cool.” Virgil replied meekly, a slight blush on his cheeks. Roman noticed but didn’t say anything.. For now.

“But… Back to the catalyst of this entire situation. Would you two like to join our family for Thanksgiving this year?” Logan asked, looking up at the two tall men before them. Virgil looked over to Patton and shrugged.

“That’s your choice Pat, you are the one who does the whole thing.” Virgil turned his head to the side.

“Just text Reggie and anyone else who was planning on coming and tell them we will do Friendsgiving on either Friday or Saturday instead. No harm done.” Patton shrugged.

“Friendsgiving?” Roman raised an eyebrow.

“We usually have Thanksgiving over here, Patton hosts it and anyone who doesn’t have somewhere to be comes and spends it here. Usually it’s us and Reggie consistently. But sometimes we have other friends who join as well.” Virgil shrugged.

“Does Reggie not have family around here?” Roman asked.

“His family moved back to… Where he is from. I think he was gonna bring Julia too this year. She was only out here for school originally. She’s from.. uhh..” Virgil pondered.

“Reggie is originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo. And Julia is from England. I believe… Buckinghamshire?” Patton clarified.

“…Why do you know more about my friend than I do?” Virgil raised an eyebrow.

“Because your memory is nothing.” Patton laughed and reached over and poked Virgil in the nose. “But anyway.. Please ask your parents if there is anything we can bring for dinner? I’d love to help out if they would allow me.” He smiled.

“Oh! We need to text dad back!” Roman picked up his phone.

> Roman: I will be bringing someone! But that’s not the interesting part! 😜
> 
> Papá😓: Oh, what is the interesting part?

Logan groaned as he looked at the two messages and shot a glance to Roman.

> Logan: I will also be bringing someone.
> 
> Father: … Who was that? Did a stranger get into our family text chat? :P

Roman let out a bark of laughter at their dad’s reaction and passed his phone to Virgil and Patton so they could see what was going on. Logan just sighed and looked down at his phone again.

> Logan: It’s me. And no.
> 
> Father: Oh calm down, Mr. Towers. We will set two extra plates. Love ya both!

“Why does your dad call you, Mr. Towers?” Virgil asked, he and Patton still looking at Roman’s phone.

“Well Logan started wearing a tie pretty young, so that nickname started then. He also does it whenever Logan has to…” Roman paused and looked at Virgil and Patton before jumping out of his seat and bouncing around excitedly. “Oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god. I AM SO EXCITED FOR THANKSGIVING!” Roman couldn’t contain himself.  
  
The other three looked at him confused for a moment, not sure what on Earth had gotten into him.

“What are you going on about?” Logan asked, his voice a bit vexed.

“Lo. What does dad always say whenever he asks you to get the cereal?” Roman was giddy.

“…Paging Mr. Towers.” Logan rolled his eyes.

“…And why does he do that?” Roman seemed like he was going to burst with excitement.

“Because I am the only one who…” A bright flash of realization passed through Logan’s face and he turned to look at Virgil and Patton who were completely lost on what was happening. “…Can reach it.” The two Smalls both looked at each other in surprise.

“LOGAN IS THE TALLEST ONE IN THE FAMILY!” Roman finally outburst, his face pink from the hilarity he was experiencing.

There was a moment of quiet while this information settled in with Virgil and Patton. They both kind of kept looking back and forth between themselves and Logan. After a bit, Patton’s hands moved to his face, imagining how tiny and adorable their parent must be. He slowly started to let a low “awwwwww” come from his mouth as Virgil just started cackling.

Roman began laughing right alongside Virgil, Logan just rolled his eyes a bit and waited for them all to stop. It ended up taking several minutes, but once everyone had calmed back down, Patton asking another question.

“Um, could you find out if I can help? I’d hate to show up empty handed.” Patton asked, a bit shyly.

“Oh sure, I’ll ask them.” Logan reached back down for his phone.

> Logan: I informed Patton, as well as Virgil who is Romans’s significant other, that they are invited to join us. They both plan to attend and are wondering if they can bring anything to contribute to dinner.
> 
> Father: Your mother says not to worry them! Just their company will be plenty!

Roman smirked a little and picked up his phone.

> Roman: You might want to reconsider, Pat’s a trained chef and V has bartending experience. 

There was a slight pause before their father responded once more.

> Papá😓: Well, if they really waaaaant to… We could use an extra side dish or two. Maybe a dessert? And tell Virgil what I like!
> 
> Roman: How about you tell Mom to hold the dessert, that’s Pat’s specialty. And.. Maybe have her double up on everything else. Between us… These two can eat.
> 
> Papá😓: Thanks for the head’s up, we will prepare for an army :P
> 
> Roman: Thanks!

“Could you bring dessert? Maybe a side dish?” Roman smiled up at Patton who nodded happily. “And maybe you could bring some stuff to fix up some drinks?” Virgil also nodded.

With that, they went back to game night, everyone settling back into their calm time spent together. What no one admitted, was that they were all a little nervous.

Roman had never been as serious about anyone as he had been about Virgil. But there was something about this emo in his life that felt so much more important to him… He hoped his parents liked him.

Virgil wasn’t sure what any of Roman’s past relationships were like. What if their parents really liked some of Roman’s exes and they didn’t like him?

Logan had never been in a relationship before, so he had never had anyone to bring home to his parents. Was there a protocol? Something he should do?

Patton needed to make a good first impression, he hoped he could make something delicious that they would all like.. He didn’t even know what they liked. He had a lot of work to do and a lot of test batches to work through…

—

There were only about 12 days between the day that the Smalls were invited to the Towers’ Thanksgiving and the actual event. Patton asked both of them what kind of food their parents liked, desserts, colors, themes.. Everything he could think of. Once he had an idea in mind, he spent all of his free time trying to perfect his recipes. He recruited Logan to help him, trying to make sure anything he brought was something he thought everyone would like. The only issue there was that Patton had never made anything that Logan didn’t absolutely love.

Virgil put a good amount of effort into deciding what drinks he could make once he got there, but it didn’t take him too long to pick what he would bring. What he did do, secretly, was go out and try and find something to wear to this event. He thought maybe dialing down the emo a little might be a good idea for a very first impression.

Roman had put a bit of thought into how the best way the situation could go… He had subtly stopped by his parent’s house under the guise of borrowing a dish, and double checked that at very minimum, Patton and Virgil might be able to actually sit at their table. He had never noticed how small his parents’ house was… Had the ceilings and doorways always been this low? The couches so close to the ground? Oh lord.. This event was going to be something out of a cartoon.

The day approached much more quickly than most of them were really prepared for, and the next thing they knew, it was Thanksgiving. They decided to all head over together, Roman didn’t want to miss the event of the small Towers meeting the towering Smalls. Logan and Roman were already over at Patton’s waiting on the arrival of Virgil so they could head over to the Towers house. Patton seemed to have a little nervous energy, checking and rechecking everything he had made for the event.

It was getting to be around the time they needed to head out when they heard a quiet knock at the door. Roman rushed to the door and pulled it open, seeing Virgil standing there looking a little shy.

Virgil was dressed in black jeans, but they weren’t skinny or ripped. His shirt was a slate gray, long sleeved, button up. His hair was brushed out of his eyes more than usual and he had very minimal eyeshadow on. Just a tiny swipe under his eyes on his bottom lids.

“…Do I look ok?” he asked nervously.

“Aww… My beloved. You didn’t have to do this. But you look great.” Roman smiled and pulled him inside with a hug. Virgil very quietly mumbled something about first impressions and Roman felt his own mouth tug up into a smile. “Oh don’t worry about it. They are gonna love you. I mean, I do. So you have that going for you already.”

“Is Virgil here?” Patton called from the kitchen.

“Yep! We can get a move on!” Roman called. Logan and Patton stepped out of the kitchen and saw the tall emo nervously standing in the entranceway.

“Aww.. Virge. You look so nice.” Patton smiled. Virgil mumbled again but at least he had a little smile on his face.

They loaded up everything into Patton’s car, Virgil having a few bottles in a bag but, the majority of it was all of what Patton had prepared. And off they went. The car trip was strangely void of conversation, everyone having their own thoughts about what the day would hold. The only talking was Roman directing Patton on where to go.

It seemed like no time at all before Roman told Patton which driveway he could park in and they began getting out of the car. As Patton began gathering up the food, Roman and Logan shared a glance.

“Maybe we will run in real quick and tell them we are here. Then we can come back and help you carry everything in.” Roman suddenly offered. Virgil and Patton shared a quick glance as well.

“Oh, uh, sure thing. That’s no problem.” Patton shrugged and both Logan and Roman walked up to the front door and disappeared inside. The two Smalls finished getting everything together and walked up to the front door, waiting for them to come back for them. They stood quietly for a few moments before Virgil finally broke the silence.

“Patton… Whatever you do. Do not pick anyone up.” They both chuckled, a bit of the tension dissipating.


	19. Thanksgiving

Roman and Logan quickly entered their parents’ home and were welcomed with the familiar scent of their Italian/American Thanksgiving. The strangely wonderful smell of both pasta and turkey was one they were very accustomed to and looked forward to each year. They gently closed the door behind them.

“Helloooooo?” Roman called, stepping forward into the living room.

“Ro? That you?” They heard their dad from the kitchen.

“It’s me! And I’ve got Lo!” Roman called back.

Their dad stepped out of the kitchen and came forward, pausing slightly when he saw just the two of them.

“I was ready to give these guys a talking to, where are they?” Their dad laughed. Roman and Logan shared a side glance.

“They are unloading the car. Patton made a good amount of dessert.” Logan said, coolly.

“Oh, do they need help? Got all this impressive muscle right here!” He laughed again and flexed. Roman let out a short laugh.

“Oh no, we just wanted to come real quick and say hi.. Before they came in.” Roman said awkwardly, borrowing Virgil’s hand on the back of the neck gesture. Their dad raised an eyebrow as he surveyed the situation.

“..What’s going on, you two? You seem nervous.” The eldest Towers asked.

“We just… Wanted to.. Uh..” Roman began.

“Please be kind. They are very important.” Logan said, matter of factly. Their dad let out a short laugh.

“I’m not used to this from you, Lo! But don’t worry. I promise to keep the 3rd degree to a minimum. Scout’s honor. No promises on your mother though.” Their dad smiled.

“I think that’s all we can ask for.” Roman smiled as he and Lo turned back to the door. Roman smirked as he reached for the doorknob and turned back over his shoulder. “Oh and hey dad, try and keep the staring to a minimum.”

Their dad seemed confused by the comment but stood firm, waiting to see what on Earth could be on the other side of the door.

Roman and Logan pulled the door open, seeing Virgil and Patton standing there, holding the containers. They took the food from them to free up their hands and turned back inside. Their father watched as they walked passed him and then looked back to the door, just in time to see Virgil ducking his head low to pass through the door frame. His eyes went wide as he saw the tall man enter his home.

_Oh. This was what Roman meant. This man had to be the tallest… Nope. There’s a second one._

He had no time to react to Virgil before Patton stepped through behind him. Patton ducked far to dodge the doorframe and when he stood back up, they all silently took note that Patton’s head was maaaaybe a foot from the ceiling. Virgil and Patton then immediately noticed  the man before them. He had the same dark hair and eyes that Logan and Roman had, but they could see his hair had a bit of gray coming in around the sides. He also seemed to be somewhere between his son’s heights, Virgil realizing that they had actually been serious. Logan was really the tallest one in this family. A moment of quiet hesitation passed before Patton stepped forward and extended his hand to shake.

“It’s great to meet you, Sir. I’m Patton! Uh, Patton Small.” He gave a friendly smile.

“You as well, I’m Louis.” He shook Patton’s hand, both of them ignoring how Patton’s hand completely dwarfed the older man’s. Virgil shyly stepped up and offered his hand.

“And i’m, uh, Virgil Small.” He shook his hand as well.

“Oh you two are related? That’s comforting, I was starting to think both my boys stumbled upon a height convention or something.” He laughed and Patton let out a good chuckle.

“Oh no, nothing like that. But that would have been quite the story! We are brothers, Virgil is about a year older than me.” Patton explained with a smile.

“Well, welcome to Chez Towers! I’ve never had to say this before but.. Watch out for the doorframes?” Louis chuckled. Both Patton and Virgil instinctively reached up and gently touched their foreheads.

“That’s pretty instinctual at this point.” Patton laughed.

“Yeah.. That is a lesson you learn the hard way.” Virgil smiled. The three of them stood and chuckled together a bit when they heard a sharp intake of breath from the doorway to the kitchen. Louis turned around to see his wife looking right past him at the two giants in her front room. Her eyes were moving back and forth between the two of them.

Patton tried to subtly wipe his hand over his mouth to hide he had to pull his lips in between his teeth to keep from making an “awwww” sound. Their mother was a tiny woman, probably the smallest person Patton had ever seen. She had to be a couple inches shorter than  Roman and was standing there in a little apron. Her hair was elegantly pinned up and back, and her dress under her apron was lovely. She shared dark hair with her husband and sons, but her eyes were a steely blue gray. After a moment she turned to her two sons who were standing next to her and gestured to the two giants.

“… _Allora, chi esce con chi_?” She asked, eyeing her two boys.

“I’m dating Patton.” Logan supplied, gesturing toward him. Patton waved back.

“And I’m with Virgil.” Roman added, gesturing to Virgil who also waved. Their mom shook her head and gently bonked Roman on the front of the shoulder with a wooden spoon she had in her hand. He looked taken aback. “Hey! What was that for?”

“He is so skinny! Why aren’t you feeding him?!” Their mom pointed at Virgil with the spoon. Louis, Roman, and Patton all erupted into laughter, their mom with a slight smirk on her face.

“Introducing Eloisa, my lovely wife.” Louis finally got out once he stopped laughing. Eloisa walked over to Patton and Virgil, them getting an even better idea of how small she really was. Patton was easily two feet taller than she was.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Ma’am. I’m Patton.” Patton smiled and held his hand out to shake. Eloisa took it with a smile and before Patton realized what she was doing, she yanked him down to her level just like he had seen Roman do to Virgil countless times. It only took him a moment to realize the correct greeting. He turned his head to allow her to do the same as they very lightly brushed cheeks on both sides.

“Welcome Patton, it is lovely to meet you.” She smiled, happy with his greeting. They released hands and Patton straightened back up. Virgil watched the situation carefully and mimicked Patton’s actions so he didn’t get yanked down also, even though he was fairly used to it at this point.

“Thank you for having us, Ma’am. I’m Virgil.” He said a little timidly.

“Of course, Virgil. Welcome.” She smiled, but as he stood she didn’t release his hand as she had done with Patton. Instead she turned, still holding on tight, and began to walk back to the kitchen while tugging the giant behind her. “Now come along,  _Acciuga_. Let’s get some food in you.”

Patton, Louis, and Roman all laughed once more, Patton turning to Logan.

“What did she just call him?” He asked, his face still warm from laughter.

“Anchovy.” Logan answered, chuckling a little bit himself. Patton let out a bit more laughter and the rest of them made their way to the kitchen as well.

Eloisa and Virgil had maybe 20 seconds of a head start, but by the time they all joined them in the kitchen she had already given him a plate and was having him load it up. Virgil was meekly grabbing a tiny bit of everything, the rest of them all knowing that Eloisa wasn’t going to let him get away with that. As he tried to slip out of the kitchen, she grabbed his plate from him.

“No no no no. This isn’t enough. You need more.” She walked back with his plate and began loading up the plate heavily. “I see the problem now,  _Scricciolo_. But don’t worry, I will help.” She smiled to Roman. Roman knew there wasn’t much he was going to be able to do to help his boyfriend here… So he just had to wait to see what would happen, hopefully Virgil brought his appetite.

“Alright, Patton, you are next.” Eloisa called out as she handed Virgil his heavy plate.

Patton grabbed a plate and began filling it with the bountiful offerings before him. Eloisa was definitely eyeing him, Patton made sure to grab extra as he neared the end of the line, earning an approving nod from the tiny woman.

“Alright  _Scricciolo_ ,  _Lupacchiotto_. Come make plates.” She smiled, beginning to load up her own.

Roman and Logan made their’s next, heading into the dining room to find Virgil and Patton unsure where to sit. The dining table was quiet long, and thankfully fairly tall, with four chairs on each side. Roman and Logan ushered them to the center two seats on one side, then sat on each end of them. Eloisa and Louis joined them a minute later, sitting across from the two giants.

“Thank you again, Ma’am. This food looks delicious, and I also wanted to mention your home is lovely.” Patton smiled, picking up his fork.

“Why thank you, Patton. That is very kind of you.” She smiled.

They all began eating, quietly at first. But Roman knew what to expect. He had been through this several times. He was waiting for..

“So, what do you two boys do?” Louis broke the silence. There it was. Roman knew his parents had a list of questions to ask.

“Well, I’m the executive pastry chef for the restaurant over on the pier.” Patton answered.

“I do online website design and some IT consulting.” Virgil added.

“Oh that’s interesting! Did you two go to school for those? Or how did you end up there?” Louis asked, seemingly interested. Roman checked another question off the list in his head. Schooling always came up…

“I went to culinary school, but it was through a university. So technically I have a degree in Pastry Arts.” Patton explained, happily answering the questions between bites.

“I have my bachelor’s degree in Computer Science.” Virgil supplied.

“Ah very nice! I am a firm believer in education!” Louis smiled. Roman waited, here there should be a pause, before his dad would find something else to ask. But that was when Patton did something no one Roman had ever brought home had even attempted without prompting. He started talking.

“So am I! Learning is such an amazing thing, isn’t it? I was so impressed when Logan first told me he had his master’s degree! You two must have been so proud! And Roman too! The performing arts are such a difficult thing to master! I can’t imagine how ecstatic you two must be to have such wonderful sons. Of course, much of the credit goes to you two!” Patton was smiling wide, his expression so true and earnest. Roman watched his parents, them both searching Patton’s face for a hint of a lack of sincerity and finding none.

The two parents both shifted their eyes to Logan, seeing their eldest son looking up at Patton next to him with such a gentle, loving expression. Something they had never seen on his face before. They never thought there would be someone who could make Logan’s serious eyes soften so much. Patton instinctively moved to look down at Logan, his jubilant expression causing a small smile to form on Logan’s face.

“…Thank you, Patton. We are. Our sons are our everything. But it is apparent the two of you are quite stand up gentlemen yourselves!” Louis finally broke the silence.

“It would seem that the two of you must have also had someone in your lives who helped you become such great individuals. Why is it you are here with us today and not with your family?” Eloisa asked. Roman winced a little internally. His mother usually finished the “interview” with this one.. Wanting to see how his significant other spoke of their family. But in this case, he wasn’t sure how they’d answer.

“Pssh.” Virgil seemed to have suddenly found his voice after staying quiet most of the time since they had arrived. “Everything that’s right with me is all Patton’s fault.” He smiled, gently nudging his shoulder against Patton’s. Patton let out a small laugh.

“And I’d say I owe a lot of what makes me who I am, to my older brother.” Patton responded, smiling back to Virgil. He turned back to the older people before him. “But to answer your question… It’s just the two of us. We’re all we have.” Patton smiled. They saw her eyes widen a bit in surprise, she had never gotten an answer like that before. But she quickly settled once more. They sat quietly for a moment when Virgil placed his fork down.

“Umm… This was really tasty, Ma’am. Could I have, um, some more?” He asked, a bit timidly. All of them immediately looked to Virgil’s plate and realized it was empty. Eloisa’s face lit up.

“Of course,  _Acciuga_ , please. Help yourself.” She smiled wide as Virgil stood and went back to the kitchen.

“I agree! This is delicious! I’ll have to ask you to help me with my lasagna recipe! It is no where near this spectacular!” Patton added, his plate also clean, as he moved to the kitchen for more.

The looks on their parents face while the two Smalls were in the kitchen told Roman and Logan everything they needed to know.

—

The rest of the meal went smoothly, the conversation flowing much more naturally than it had been before. Everyone was talking and laughing, reminiscing and sharing. After dinner found them all mingling in the kitchen, Roman and Logan standing off the side watching. Eloisa was talking recipes with Patton while Virgil talked to Louis about the different drinks he could make with all he had brought.

Roman and Logan shared a knowing glance, glad to see that their parents seemed to be taking a serious liking to the two Smalls. No one had ever tried to bond with their parents before, but Virgil and Patton just seemed to naturally get along with them. It made both of them so happy to see.

It didn’t feel like too much longer before it was getting to be time to go and they all started gathering in the front room to start saying their goodbyes. There was a large shelf in the corner of the room, Patton wandering over and looking at all the adorable photos of their family through out the years. Logan moved over to join him, looking at and reliving some memories. Patton’s eyes moved from photo to photo, Logan beginning to tell him about some of the images he was looking at. As he turned, he glanced to just below his eye level at the very top of the shelving unit and let out a slightly high pitched noise.

“ **Eee!** ” He yelped, causing everyone to look over at him. He had instantly gotten behind Logan, crouching down so Logan was between him and whatever he saw. Everyone was looking at him, wondering what could have possibly gotten into him. Virgil walked over and took a closer look at where Patton had been looking.

“Ah. There’s the problem.” Virgil smiled. He grabbed a tissue and forcefully smushed it down on the top of the shelf. “..You had a spider.” He explained, holding the ball of tissue in his outstretched fist.

Everyone paused a moment, looking at Patton, slowly standing back up from his hiding place behind Logan, before they all began to laugh. Once Patton was back up at his full height, a pink blush spread across his freckled cheeks, his hands still resting on Logan’s shoulders. Logan simply placed his hands on top of Patton’s and leaned his back, looking up at him with his loving expression back on his face. Patton still looked rather embarrassed which only made Logan chuckle more.

Louis and Eloisa both looked on joyously, so glad to see their older son so happy. They both looked over to Roman, realizing they had been more focused on Logan than on him. Roman was standing there with Virgil, the two of them talking and laughing quietly, looking at something on one of their phones. His face was lit up, which wasn’t unusual for him, but this was different some how. More real.

They all slowly moved to the door after a bit, Roman and Logan starting their goodbyes first. Louis shook hands with both Smalls, inviting them back soon for more desserts and drinks.

Eloisa moved to say good bye to the two giants, surprising them both by opening her arms for a hug. Virgil bent down low, giving her a gentle hug.

“Come back soon,  _Acciuga_. If my son isn’t feeding you, I will.” She smiled.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” He smiled gently, standing back up.

She moved to Patton, also holding her arms out to give him a hug.

_Don’t pick her up, don’t pick her up, don’t pick her up, don’t pick her up…_

As Patton bent and allowed the small woman to wrap her arms around his neck, he heard her whisper only loud enough for him to hear.

“…Your mother would be proud of you. You are a good person, Patton.”

His eyes widened and he completely froze, allowing her to pull him a little closer and hold him a bit. He slowly felt his eyes begin to water and he lowered his arms, slowly straightening back up and trying to discreetly wipe his face on his shoulder.

“…Th-thank you, Ma’am.” He smiled, his expression so fragile and shaking.

“You may call me Eloisa,  _Orsacchiottone_.” She smiled, gently patting his arm. He nodded and looked back at everyone else, smiling back at him.

Roman knew his mother usually made her true feelings known in her parting words, most of the time using some kind of Italian nickname to signal to him what she truly thought of the person he had brought. They would generally ask what it meant when they left and he had to come up with a lie on the spot, as she was generally not kind.  
  
The four of them were climbing in to the car when Patton asked.

“What did her nicknames mean?” Patton asked, looking back at the two shorter men in the backseat.

“She calls me Little Bird. And she was calling Virgil, Anchovy. That’s something she calls people who are too skinny.” Roman laughed.

“Yeah, I realized that.” Virgil laughed.

“She refers to me as Little Wolf. Or Wolf cub, depending on how you look at it.” Logan added.

“What was it that she called me? Right at the end.” Patton asked. Logan and Roman both smiled and spoke up in unison.

“Big Teddy Bear.”


	20. Friendsgiving

The four of them had a calm ride home, all their stress having melted away after their Thanksgiving with the Towers had gone so well. Once they arrived back to Patton’s house and everyone helped carry in his traveling food containers, Roman and Virgil began making their way out.

“We will be back in the morning with some breakfast, don’t over work yourself, ok Pat?” Virgil gently pressed a finger to Patton’s chest with a smirk. Patton let out a short laugh.

“I’ll be good, don’t worry Virge.” He smiled and pulled his brother in for a quick hug.

Logan was a little confused but he didn’t say anything until both his and Patton’s brothers had made their exit. Patton simply turned, humming to himself and made his way to his kitchen. He immediately started cleaning out the containers and putting them away.

“So, what exactly does ‘Friendsgiving’ entail?” Logan asked curiously, leaning against the countertop and watching Patton.

“Oh! It’s a lot like Thanksgiving! We have food, people come over, play some games… We just spend a day together. It’s great.” Patton smiled, closing his dishwasher.

“It does sounds quite nice. So, what are you going to do now?” Logan asked, watching as Patton began pulling out several pots, pans, dishes, and ingredients.

“I’m going to start cooking, silly!” Patton laughed, preheating the oven and setting up the different pots on the stove. A smile spread across Logan’s face as he watched Patton begin flitting around the kitchen, completely in his comfort zone. Logan walked over to the pantry and pulled out the apron Patton had gotten for him so there would be one in his size available. He slid it on over his head and tied the strings behind his back.

“Well, i’m ready. How can I help?” Logan asked, causing Patton to turn around and see him standing ready to cook in his constellation apron. Patton’s heart swelled with happiness.

“How about… You start on peeling and chopping!” Patton smiled and set Logan up with potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, apples, and a pumpkin. Logan was only moderately surprised, he had seen how much food Patton made when it was just the two of them, he could only imagine how much he would prepare for Thanksgiving. But he supposed he was about to find out.

The two of them talked and had a good time, both of them working on their different tasks. Logan turned around to see how Patton was doing every so often and every time he did so, he saw Patton working on something different. He had seen two separate turkeys go in the oven, there were multiple somethings simmering on the stove, at least three batches of pie dough rolled out, and Patton had taken all the things Logan had finished chopping as soon as he was done with them.

Logan checked the time after a while and found it was already after midnight.

“Patton?” He piped up, causing his tall significant other to turn around and check on him.

“Yes, Lolo? Everything alright?” He took a moment to walk over to Logan and give him a small hug and a kiss on top of the head.

“It is getting rather late, shouldn’t we be heading to bed soon?” Logan asked, looking up at Patton. Patton looked surprised for a moment before a small wave of realization moved across his face.

“Oh, Well…. I don’t sleep on the night before Friendsgiving. Too much food to cook.” Patton shrugged. “But please, if you are tired, then sleep. Don’t worry about me, I do this every year and it’s usually just me.” Patton smiled.

“… Virgil doesn’t help? Or anyone else? You always do this alone?” Logan asked slowly, his calculating eyes staring into Patton’s much softer ones.

“Oh don’t worry about that. Virgil really isn’t much of a cook… And besides, he barely is able to stay awake on a normal day, how do you think he’d do on an all nighter?” Patton chuckled.

“Well… I’ll stay up with you.” Logan said firmly. Patton stared at him for a moment, searching his face as if to decide if Logan really knew what he was agreeing to. It only took a few seconds before his expression split back into his patented Patton smile.

“Alright, Lo. If you’d like to, i’d love to have you! I’ll just put some coffee on!” He smiled, turning on the coffee machine.

They went back to their tasks, Logan started to get a little tired, but the coffee Patton made was helping. It wasn’t until around 4 am when Logan noticed Patton was starting to feel the effects of not sleeping. He heard Patton let out a very small sigh as he pulled a fresh pot of coffee from the coffee maker. Logan turned to see Patton, he had his hands braced on the counter top, looking down as if he was thinking.

“…Pat, are you ok?” Logan asked, concerned. Patton jolted a little, as if he had forgotten Logan was behind him. He spun around, his eyebrows raised but his eyes half closed in sluggishness.

“Ah, Lo! Uh.. I… Can I ask you to do something? And.. I’d really appreciate it… If you didn’t ask why.” Patton very slowly explained, his hand on the back of neck in embarrassment. Logan studied him quizzically, but if there was one thing Logan knew for sure… It was that he trusted the gentle giant in front of him.

“Of course, Patton. Anything.” Logan said with a nod. Patton’s face split into a lazy grin, Logan had never seen Patton tired like this before. Patton turned and knelt down, reaching into a very low cupboard. He pulled out what Logan would have initially described as a decently sized bowl before he saw it had a mug handle on it. Patton also grabbed a brand new half gallon of milk from the fridge. He sat the two things on either side of the fresh pot of coffee. He allowed his head to slump down as he looked over the three items on his countertop.

“Could you… Go take a shower? It might help you wake up, you seem tired. And uh… Take your time.” Patton slowly spoke, not having turned around to face him. Logan felt his mouth open, his inquisitive nature compelling him to ask why. But he stopped himself.

“…That sounds like a good idea, Patton. I’ll go do that.” Logan walked up behind him and gave him a hug around the waist. Patton gave his arms a loving squeeze and then Logan briskly walked out of the kitchen.

As Logan ascended the stairs he heard the hollow thump of something light falling into the trash can. He made his way up into the bedroom, pulling clothes for the next day out of a drawer. He took some time to straighten up the bedroom a little, fixing the bed, fluffing the pillows, making sure the pictures on the wall were straight.

From downstairs he could hear music start to play, something fast paced. The next sound was something he couldn’t quite place. It was a rapid tapping sound, almost like a woodpecker. He figured this was something he didn’t need to know and actually made his way into the shower. Still taking as long as he could manage, as he tidied up the shower as he used it, straightening and reorganizing the bottles of shampoo and conditioner. He dried off meticulously before making sure his hair was exactly how he wanted it. Logan wiped down the countertop, straightened the drawers… Anything and everything he think to do. He checked the clock on the wall, he had been gone from downstairs for around an hour or so. He hoped this counted as “taking his time.”

He made his way back downstairs and very slowly rounded the corner into the kitchen. He found Patton, cooking, dancing, and singing a little to himself. Logan’s eyes traveled around the kitchen, taking in the sight before him. It was absolutely spotless. There were no dishes in the sink at all, no spills, not a single crumb on the counter or the floor. There were neat perfect little bowls full of herbs and seasonings, all specifically placed to the side. He could tell they were all freshly precisely chopped, which Logan could only assume had been the rapid tapping sound he had heard earlier. Patton was rocking his hips back and forth to the beat of the music playing, not having noticed Logan’s presence just yet.

“Umm.. Patton? I’m back from the shower.” Logan piped up, causing Patton to whip his head around to see him. A little too fast. His face split into a huge toothy smile and he sat down the spoon he was using to stir the pot he had had his attention on.

“Logan! Welcome back!” Patton took two enormous strides forward and instantly had his hands under Logan’s arms and was picking him up, as if he was no heavier than a toddler, and twirling them both around once before he pulled Logan close and gave him a hug.

“Umm.. Glad to be back?” He squeaked into Patton’s ear.

“Oh! Sorry!” Patton sat Logan back down swiftly, giving him a quick pat on the head before moving back to the stove.

“How… Are you?” Logan was not completely sure what he was experiencing. He wasn’t dumb, he had pieced together what must have happened, he noticed the half gallon of milk in the trash and that there was now a fresh pot of coffee brewing.

“I’m great! Just have to keep an eye on a couple things before I’ll have a chance to go grab a shower myself! But it’s all going just great!” Patton’s wide smile never left his face, and Logan noted Patton’s sparkling green eyes were just a liiiittle too open. He realized why Patton had sent him up the stairs… This had to Patton coming back down from his caffeine rush. He already had more energy than the average person on a regular day and they were both aware of it. Apparently it had already been established that Patton didn’t drink caffeine.. Unless he really needed it. Logan took some solace in the fact that at least Patton was aware of this.

Logan settled in a spot off on the side of the kitchen, talking a bit and keeping Patton company while he finished everything up. It seemed there wasn’t much left to do besides letting everything finish cooking. He watched Patton as he managed to keep an eye on everything he had working at once. Logan was sure the excess energy was helping, but he knew it was all Patton’s skill at multitasking allowing him to accomplish so much. He was also still dancing a bit in place as he worked, which kept a small loving smile on Logan’s face the entirety of the time.

“Alright! I am gonna go take a quick shower! Can you watch this for me?” Patton spun around to look at Logan. Logan’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Um.. Yes. What do I need to do?” Logan stepped up to the stove and looked at everything Patton was cooking.

“It’s simple, I promise! Just kinda watch everything, if it starts bubbling, stir it!” Patton smiled, gave him a pat on the shoulder and a kiss on the cheek, then spun on his heel and ran off, scampering up the stairs.

Logan stared intently at the several things cooking in front of him, meticulously making sure nothing began boiling on his watch. It didn’t take Patton very long to return, and thankfully he seemed to be back to his normal energy level when he came back.

“Thanks, Lo. I really appreciate the help.” Patton smiled gently and gave Logan a kiss on top of the head before resting his chin there and wrapping an arm around him. Logan made no attempt to move, holding Patton’s arm in his own as Patton used his free hand to maintain the simmering food.

This was how they spent the majority of the rest of their time cooking, neither wanting to break the embrace. Neither had been paying attention to the time, they only realized how much time had really passed when they heard the door bell and both looked up at the clock. 9:30am on the dot. Logan turned around to look up at Patton.

“Who is here so early?” He asked, one eyebrow raised. Patton’s face split into a large smile.

“That will be Virgil, checking on me. Come on, if I don’t answer the door before 9:32 he will climb in through the window.” He chuckled and softly pulled Logan along behind him as they moved to the door.

“Good morning Virge!” Patton said cheerily as he opened the door.

“Mornin’ Pat.” He gave a small smile and stepped inside, Roman right behind him.

“Good morning Roman!” He added happily as Roman came into view.

“Morning Patton! Morning Lo!” He said, noticing Logan just behind Pat. Logan gave a small wave.

“So…” Virgil was holding two large paper coffee cups in his hands and he slowly held one out toward Patton. Patton glanced down at the cup in his hand and sighed a little. But before either of them could do anything Logan reached out and took it from him.

“I think.. We’re gonna be fine without that.” Logan said firmly and took a sip himself. Patton instantly turned pink but Virgil just exploded into laughter.

“Ok good. I just have to make sure Patton gets his one coffee a year. Sometimes he forgets and he just falls over halfway through the day. You know how big this dude is? You don’t want him fainting.” Virgil managed after he caught his breath. Roman looked slightly disappointed, it seemed Virgil had told him about Patton and caffeine, but he got over it quickly.

“So… Breakfast?” Roman held up the pink box in his hands. Patton smirked and playfully rolled his eyes while shaking his head.

“You know I’ll just make breakfast, Virge. You don’t have to bring stuff.”

“Pat, you already don’t let me contribute to dinner, i’m not letting you cover breakfast too. Now come on, eat.” Virgil walked over to the table with Roman at his heels and they opened up the box to reveal a huge selection of donuts. Patton just sighed playfully and joined them, grabbing a pastry. They all sat and ate, chatting as they did so.

“So, what is the plan for today?” Logan asked, when the idle conversation died down a bit.

“Well, we generally play a couple board games, eat, maybe a movie? It’s a pretty low key day.” Virgil shrugged.

“Yeah, it’s getting closer to when they should get here. And then I usually get the food out around Noon… We just kinda eat and chill all day.” Patton added.

“Sounds like a nice time!” Roman smiled.

“Who is coming?” Logan asked, but as Virgil opened his mouth to answer, the doorbell rang.

“Looks like they will answer that question themselves.” He stood and moved to the door, throwing it open and revealing two people standing in the grand doorway.

“Regg! Julia!” Virgil smiled, his friend pulling him in for a quick hug.

“What’s up, gurls?” Reggie smiled, stepping in behind Julia.

“Julia!” Roman popped up out of his seat and rushed to hug his friend.

“Roman!” She smiled and caught him in a hug.

They said their hellos and moved to the table, the newcomers grabbing a couple of the donuts that hadn’t been eaten yet. They all took some time to catch up a little, it had been a month since they’d hung out with two of them and Reggie was beyond interested (amused) to learn that Roman and Logan had a whole family that were as small as they were.

Noon rolled around relatively quickly and Patton began loading up the dining table with food. There were two full turkeys, a huge tureen of butternut squash soup, an enormous quantity of mashed potatoes (both regular and sweet), two giant containers of two different types of gravy, two huge dishes of stuffing, a bowl full to the brim of fresh rolls, multiple batches of cornbread muffins, a dish of scalloped potatoes, a dish of green bean casserole, a dish of Brussel sprouts, two huge fresh salads, a small vat of cranberry sauce, and 4 pies: pumpkin, apple, pecan, and strawberry rhubarb.

The five of them stared at the table open mouthed at the sheer quantity of food. Patton just smiled and placed his hands on his hips, proud of his meal.

“Patton… What the hell. Like.. Holy crap. You think you made enough food?” Virgil turned to stare at him.

“Seriously, man. This is insanity.” Reggie added, turning to look at him as well.

“What?” Patton asked, blushing a little.

“This is so much food!” Virgil reiterated.

“We have twice as many people this year! I wanted to make sure we had enough!” He blushed darker as he defended his choice.

“I mean… Technically! But look at them! They are like only one and a half of us!” Virgil began laughing as they looked at their three significant others, Logan being the largest of them.

“Hey!” Roman pouted.

“Come on, Shrimp. Look around you.” Reggie chided gently.

“Yeah yeah.. Whatever…” He chuckled.

“…It looks delicious Patton. I have a feeling that.. We will all be going home with leftovers.” Logan added, looking up at Patton.

“Oh yeah, I can’t wait to dig in. I just think we will be eating Thanksgiving until my birthday…” Virgil chuckled.

“I mean yeah, i’m happy about all the deliciousness.. I just was worried you invited another 30 people I wasn’t aware of.” Reggie laughed. Patton still blushed, but he at least seemed glad they were excited to eat.

Patton brought out a stack of plates, bowls, and utensils, allowing everyone to load up with all the food they could possibly want. They all moved about the table, piling up the delicious offerings. It was all just as delicious as they expected it to be, even with the mass quantities and the exceptional multitasking that Patton had to use to get it all cooked. They sat and ate happily, enjoying the family that they had created for themselves. Roman and Logan quickly realized that this “Friendsgiving” was just as much a Thanksgiving as any that they had ever known. They were beyond happy to have been invited into this family, just as they had been to welcome these two into their own.

Apparently it was customary after round one of food that Reggie, Patton, and Virgil played a “friendly” game of Scrabble, the other three found out. It also became immediately obvious that Virgil was beyond willing to bow out of the game to spend time with Roman and Julia, seeing as it was a four person game maximum. Logan joined with glee, happy to attempt to overthrow Reggie’s reign of victory that spanned years. Patton wasn’t very competitive and Scrabble just wasn’t Virgil’s strong suit, so Reggie’s win record spanned back since the tradition had begun.

Luckily enough, Virgil showed Roman and Julia where Patton kept all the movies and the three of them designed a movie line up for the remainder of the day. Absolutely no one was surprised that it was full of Disney movies and musicals. They each grabbed a little more of the bountiful offering that Patton had prepared and settled into the couch to watch the first movie of the marathon.

They were pretty deep into the second movie before the Scrabble game finally ended, and the three of them joined the three watching movies. No one seemed to want to admit who won, which gave Virgil the impression it had been Patton as the other two probably would have gloated at least a little. But no matter. The six of them settled comfortably together, periodically getting up to indulge a little more in their feast.

Movie four or five found them all slumped over in a turkey day-induced sleep, the six of them slumped all about the couch and armchair in a huge pile of their found family.


	21. Patton's Birthday

They had a quiet few days as November slowly turned to December. The afternoon of December 1st found Roman and Virgil relaxing at Virgil’s apartment, watching movies and hanging out together as they enjoyed doing. Roman was scrolling through his phone when he looked over at Virgil, doodling on his tablet.

“Hey Skeletor?” Roman piped up.

“Yeah?” Virgil answered without looking up, still mostly focused on his drawing.

“What do you guys usually do for Christmas? It’s December, so we should start planning that out.” He asked, looking at his calendar for the month.

“Oh, we don’t do Christmas until after Patton’s birthday.” He explained simply, shrugging his shoulders.

“Oh I forgot! What do you usually do for his birthday?! We should plan something! What does he like?!” Roman began to bounce excitedly in his seat, tossing his phone to the side.

“…Everything? It’s Patton.” Virgil smirked.

“…Fair. I think it would be cool to do something all together. It’s his first birthday with Logan, and we could do something fun! What kind of things does he like to do? We could do the beach.. Or maybe a festival or a fair? Does he like theme parks?” Roman began to plan, placing his hand to his chin.

“He likes spending time with his people, so probably a good idea. Uhh.. He likes the beach, i’m sure he’d enjoy any kind of fair, and he’s never been to a theme park. So, no idea.” Virgil still hadn’t looked up, but if he had he would have seen the look of horror on Roman’s face.

“He’s never been to a theme park?! Not a single one?!” He was aghast, how had that man never been to a theme park? Patton adored all things fun and adorable, the man should honestly have a pass to the closest one.

“Nope. He’s 6’10” and over 300 pounds, why would he go to a theme park?” He finally looked at him, one eyebrow raised.

“What about when he was younger? You didn’t go as kids?” Roman inquired, realization dawning on him that Patton faced an entirely different set of issues than he, himself, thought about.

“…Do you have any idea how long we’ve been this big? We couldn’t exactly get in on kid’s tickets. And that’s a pretty expensive trip.” Virgil explained, still looking at his boyfriend with an eyebrow raised.

A brand new wave of sadness spread through Roman’s chest. “…You’ve never been either, have you?”

“Nope.”

“We have to go. For Patton’s birthday.” He said firmly.

“You want to take him somewhere where all he gets to do all day is watch other people go on rides? For his birthday? Yeah sure, i’ll hang out with him while you and Logan ride rollercoasters.” Virgil scoffed, going back to his tablet.

“…I’m going to figure this out.” Roman said, tapping his finger on his chin and pulling out his phone. “But, I might need backup.”

—

A few days later, Roman pulled up in front of the house and parked his car in the driveway, scampering out and scurrying to the door. He the proceeded to ring the doorbell repeatedly until the door swung open to reveal his, rather annoyed-looking, elder brother.

“Roman, you are aware that I will hear the doorbell sufficiently even if you ring it only once.” He spoke, his tone a bit exasperated.

“But if I ring it over and over, you open the door faster. Now come on! I need to know what you found out!” Roman said excitedly as he rushed passed his brother into his house.

“The ‘research’ you asked me to complete?” Logan asked, leading his brother to the spare bedroom which he used as a study.

“Yes yes! Did you figure out what I wanted?!” Roman bounced on his heels excitedly.

“Well, I researched several establishments, read online forums, found a few schematics that were leaked by engineers…” Logan picked up several pieces of paper, all covered in neat notes about what he had been researching.

“I knew I could count on you, Lo! What were your findings?!” Roman asked, nearly vibrating with excitement.

“It would appear that… Disneyland is the most logical choice. None of the rides have strict height or weight limits other than ones for very small children, even if some won’t be optimal for the two of them, none of the adult rides would be strictly off limits. There do seem to be more pros to outweigh the cons than any other amusement park I have been able to find.”

“Lo, you are the best!” Roman smiled, looking over all of Logan’s findings. He was going to make this the best trip ever. He just had to get to the real planning now.

Luckily for Roman’s extensive and meticulous planning, Patton’s birthday wasn’t until the 18th, which was a Monday so the park wouldn’t be too busy. He let the other three know that he was planning a surprise for Patton’s birthday and to keep the day open. He had to make sure Logan didn’t let the surprise slip, and relied on the fact that Virgil had definitely forgotten that they’d had that conversation by now. Patton seemed beyond excited that Roman wanted to plan anything for him at all, and was awaiting the day with a Patton level of intensity.

It didn’t feel like much time at all before it was Patton’s actual birthday and Roman and Virgil were pulling up to Patton’s house bright and early to pick him and Logan up. They knocked on Patton’s enormous front doors and were met almost immediately by an exuberant Patton.

“Roman! Virgil!” He excitedly called, pulling them both in with a hug.

“Happy Birthday, Patton!” Roman said giddily, almost as excited as Patton himself.

“Happy birthday, Pat.” Virgil added with a small smile.

“Thanks, you two! I’m so excited! I can’t wait to see what were doing!” He was bouncing up and down on his toes as he spoke.

“Well we just have to one quick thing before we go!” Roman smiled and pulled out a black bag from behind his back.

“What’s that, Roman?” Patton asked, cocking his head to the side a bit.

“I have shirts we all have to wear, but they are part of the surprise! So I need you three to close your eyes and change into them.” He said, holding up the bag.

“Right here, in the living room?” Logan piped up, announcing his presence off to the side of the room.

“Yes. Or else I won’t know if you peeked!” Roman held steadfast and the other three knew him well enough that would definitely be for the best if they just agreed. They closed their eyes and pulled their shirts off before Roman passed out the t-shirts for them to pull on.

“What is the point of this? We will see them when we open our eyes.” Logan pointed out, his eyes still closed.

“No you won’t. Put these on too.” Roman smiled and handed them each another garment.

“Ok. None of you are inside out or backwards. You can open your eyes.” Roman smiled, looking proud of himself.

The three of them opened their eyes and looked each other over, noting they were all wearing plain black sweatshirts.

“Now! Let’s go! I’m driving!” Roman called and spun to lead them outside.

“Uh… Ro? Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Virgil asked, suddenly seeming nervous.

“Why wouldn’t it be? I’m a great driver!” Roman answer, hands on his hips.

“I’m sure it’ll be fine Virge! He’s the one planning it, afterall.” Patton added.

“…Pat.. You know what. Sure. Let’s just go outside.” Virgil shook his head and made for the door.   
They all walked back out side, Patton locking the door behind them, and turned to head to Roman’s car. Patton instantly realized Virgil’s hesitation.

Roman drove a bright red Mini Cooper. Emphasis on “Mini.”

“Umm… Roman. I don’t know if this will work.” Patton spoke softly and kindly.

“Oh don’t worry about it Patton! I’ve got it covered!” Roman called out. He flew into the driver’s seat and turned the car on, hitting a button to retract the roof and reveal that it was a convertible. Patton and Virgil shared a look, not sure if this was really going to help, but they still made their way to the car. Patton went to get into the back, put Roman ushered him into the front seat. Virgil and Logan filed into the back in the logical places, Virgil behind Roman because the seat was already pushed all the way up, and Logan behind Patton since his seat was instantly all the way back.

Virgil and Patton were fairly surprised to find that the top being down on Roman’s car did help a lot. Neither of them had ever considered a convertible to be that helpful of an option for them as far as vehicles were concerned. Roman and Patton were happily talking in the front seat, Patton beyond giddy about the surprise before him. Something about the situation was sitting a little strangely with Logan though. He knew exactly what awaited them, and the fact that he had to do so much research for this trip implied that Virgil and Patton hadn’t been to Disney before. Roman hadn’t explicitly stated that, his words were more akin to “ _Which theme park is the most accommodating for the Smalls from a height and weight perspective?_ ” …He was paraphrasing.

But if they had never been… And Logan had to research to see if this would be an optimal activity… Didn’t it follow that they probably didn’t believe they could go to theme parks? And that upon arriving they would be appropriately upset? Logan pulled out his phone and sent a text to the man next to him.

Specs: Virgil, may I spoil the surprise in order to potentially voice a concern?

Virgil looked down at his phone in confusion before realizing Logan had texted him. He glanced him in surprise before reading the message and understanding why he had chosen not to say it out loud.

Virgil: Of course. I don’t like surprises anyway.

Specs: Well. We are on our way to Disneyland.

Virgil looked angrily at his phone for a few moments before he started typing furiously. Logan was expecting this could be a potential reaction, and he felt justified in warning Virgil beforehand.

Virgil: I TOLD Roman that we shouldn’t do this. It’s Patton’s birthday! Why are taking him somewhere he isn’t going to be able to do anything?!

Specs: This is why I wanted to tell you. Roman asked me to research theme parks and find out which one would be the most accessible for you and Patton. But it has occurred to me that if said research was necessary, you would more than likely believe theme parks not to be an option.

Virgil: …So what are you saying?

Specs: I feel that Patton will react similarly to you did, believing that he will be unable to participate in activities upon arrival. For his sake, and for Roman’s in a smaller way, I think it best that you be aware that this isn’t the case. You will probably be able to explain the situation to Patton in a better way than Roman or I will.

Virgil read the message then looked over at Logan, his eyes searching the shorter man’s for some kind of sign that this was really going to be ok. He wasn’t going to let anything ruin Patton’s birthday. Logan reached into his back pocket and pulled out a few folded pieces of paper and handed them over to Virgil. He spent the next several minutes reading over the notes that Logan had prepared. He then pulled up the forums that Logan had documented to read through them himself on his phone. It took a while, but eventually he sent another text to Logan.

Virgil: Thanks, Lo. I’ll talk to him when we get there. I think.. I think things are going to be ok.

Specs: Thank you, Virgil. I don’t want Patton to be upset, but I realize you are the more optimal choice to explain the situation.   
  
The two of them smiled softly to one another, understanding just how important Patton was to each of them.

The car ride fell back into normalcy, Patton and Roman still happily chatting or singing along to the radio while Virgil and Logan casually observed them, still gently smiling at their antics. It was around an hour or two later when they started to see signs that meant they were getting closer to Disney. Roman tried to keep Patton distracted, keep him from looking up and seeing the clues, but as soon as they neared the park they couldn’t keep it a secret any longer.

“Roman… Are we… Are we going to Disneyland?!” He asked, his voice excited but still hushed.

“That’s right! It’s gonna be so much fun, Patton you are going to love it!” Roman was so exceptionally excited, he was nearly bouncing out of his seat.

He drove them through the gates and up through the parking lot until they found a spot. They slid out of the car so Roman could put the top down, and he finally instructed them they could remove the sweatshirts. They all shed them and tossed them into the car, revealing that they were each wearing a colored t-shirt, (Virgil’s purple, Roman’s red, Logan’s navy blue, and Patton’s light blue) with the words “Patton’s Disney Birthday Trip!”

“Awww! Rooooman! These are so cute!” Patton smiled, looking down at his shirt and at the other three.

“Roman… Really?” Virgil scoffed. They all turned to look at Virgil, who was looking at the back of Logan’s shirt. Virgil turned around to reveal that on the back of his shirt it read “If lost, return to Patton.” Patton just started giggling and turned to reveal that on the back of his shirt, it simply read “Patton.”

“….That better be on your’s too, Roman.” Logan rolled his eyes playfully when Roman spun to reveal that his shirt had the same statement on the back that Virgil’s and Logan’s did.

They all laughed a bit as they headed for the tram, Roman telling them all about the things he was going to take them to see and do when they got in the park. Patton seemed excited, but Logan and Virgil could tell he was holding back just a bit. They made their way up to the ticket booth and Roman offered to go buy the tickets. After a quick glance to Virgil, Logan elected to accompany him and they the two Towers left the Smalls to themselves.

“Patton… What’s on your mind?” Virgil said softly, looking up into his younger brother’s eyes. Patton turned to him, almost looking like he was going to say everything was just fine.. But he quickly thought better of it and his face fell.

“I… I just feel… Selfish.” He admitted, slowly. Virgil was completely thrown off.

“What? Patton, why? You are the least selfish person I know.” Virgil tried to reassure him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“Just… Roman planned this big trip for us.. For me. And i’m just.. I feel bad that I’m not as excited as I could be. I don’t know… Why he would bring us here. What are we going to do?” He explained, his eyes trained downward.

“Patton… I know. But listen. Roman and Logan, well mostly Logan, did a bunch of research. They made sure we’d be able to go on almost all the rides. Patton… We’re gonna ride rollercoasters today. You and me, were gonna be able to do almost everything. Logan showed me all the research he did… The only things we can’t do here are things designed specifically for toddlers.” He said softly, his other hand rising up to his other shoulder.

Patton looked up suddenly, searching Virgil’s face as if to make sure he was telling the truth. “…Really? We… Can?” He said softly. Virgil just nodded and felt his heart swell as Patton’s face completely lit up, his eyes shining with that light they normally held.

It was only a bit longer before Roman and Logan approached the two of them, holding the tickets. Patton turned, his jubilant smile back on his face as he rushed forward and hugged them both, squeezing the two small men against him tightly.

“…Thank you… Thank you both so much.”


	22. Disney

Roman and Logan both found themselves in Patton’s tight embrace, both of them going to hug him back as they looked up at Virgil behind him. He had a soft smile on his face as he looked them both over. Logan seemed pleased that his plan had gone over well, that Patton was now actually excited for his big day. Roman didn’t really realize what the other three had had to go over, and just was glad that Patton was excited. Virgil was going to have to talk to his boyfriend later… These kinds of things should probably be discussed first in the future. But for now, things were good.

It took multiple minutes before Patton realized he needed to release the two men he had been moderately crushing. He pulled away with a pink tinge in his cheeks, looking down at them with a bit of embarrassment. Logan just looked up at him, not caring about anything besides how happy Patton was. And Roman was far too excited to think about anything else. Roman just grabbed Patton’s hand and started to rush off, which for Patton and his long strides was honestly more of a slightly brisk walk than a run, but he didn’t seem to mind. Virgil and Logan shared a glance and just followed behind them, small smiles on their faces.

Roman led the three of them through the turnstiles, still not letting go of Patton’s hand as he handed the attendant their tickets. Roman very carefully slid the tickets back into his backpack and turned to see Patton’s face as he first entered the park. His face was absolutely lit up, looking at the huge portrait of Mickey Mouse that greeted him in the planter just inside the park. “Welcome to Disneyland, Patton.” He smiled, quickly snapping a picture of his look of awe. Patton smiled down at him, unsure where to look first. Virgil entered just behind them with Logan, looking around also with some amount of childlike wonder on his face which Roman made sure to get a picture of as well.

“Ok! I have several things we have to make sure we do, but first things first!” Roman smiled, leading them over to the planter so they could sit on the edge and get a picture. Patton and Virgil had to sit with Logan and Roman in their laps to get them all in the frame with any of the background visible, which lead to a blushy cute photo that Roman absolutely adored. Roman popped up and grabbed both Patton and Virgil to lead them away, Patton snagging Logan’s hand as well, and off they went.

“Next stop! City hall!” Roman smiled, leading them all away from the entrance to the beginning area of the first part of Main Street. They went off to a building on the side of the area and Roman ran inside, the other three not quite sure what he was doing. They followed behind him and found him talking to a cast member inside. The employee looked up, and after their eyes widened in surprise, they turned and retrieved three buttons. Two that read “1st Visit!” And one that said “Happy Birthday!” Which they wrote Patton’s name on in adorable Disney-style handwriting. Roman happily pinned the buttons to Virgil and Patton, earning a huge smile from Patton and a genuine half smile from Virgil. Roman took a picture of the two of them, standing together with their buttons, both looking their own version of happy.

Roman led them out, pausing a moment to allow them both time to look over the sight before them. It was December and Disneyland was decked out in massive Christmas decor, it was truly a sight to behold. He turned to look up at the two giants he had flanking him, there was something about the wonder in their eyes as they looked up at the tree that made Roman feel so warm inside. He knew he was doing the right thing. He gave them a moment, also making sure Logan saw them experiencing these feelings. Logan’s face softened as well, the elder Towers brother suddenly having newfound appreciation for this place his brother was so in love with.

It didn’t take too long before Patton and Virgil shared a glance, a light dusting of pink on their cheeks, and then looked back to Roman to lead them off to the next location. Roman eagerly nodded and took them to the long straightaway of Main Street, gesturing down the road so they could see the huge castle in the distance. Patton’s face lit up all over again, Roman taking it as a cue to once again grab Patton’s hand and start rushing off to the castle. Virgil and Logan just looked at each other with a smile and followed after them, it wasn’t like they were going to lose Patton in a crowd. In fact, it was fairly easy to follow the trail of confused faces left in the wake of the small man pulling around someone nearly 2 feet taller than him.

Patton and Roman had gotten a pretty prime spot to get a selfie with the castle in the background, but the logistics of getting the two of them in the frame with any kind of view of the castle didn’t seem to be happening.

“Patton, you might have to kneel down.” Virgil laughed, walking up with Logan at his side. Patton chuckled and softly got down on his knees, earning a slight pout from Roman when he saw that even on his knees, Patton was noticeably taller than him. Logan went and stood next to Patton, the fact that he was also taller than Logan gave Roman some solace, but not that much. Roman just pulled on Virgil’s hand, getting him to also get on his knees so they could take the photo. Virgil was just shorter than Logan on his knees, which caused Roman to let out another annoyed little huff while the other three just laughed lightly.

They got their photo and Roman led them off to the castle, showing them that they could walk through and see the Sleeping Beauty story inside. Patton, and even Virgil, got really into it, having no idea that the famous castle was something you could actually walk through. As soon as they finished the tour of the castle, Roman decided it was time for their first ride.

“Are you guys ready for your first Rollercoaster?!” He asked excitedly, looking over the Smalls.

“Yes! I’m so excited!” Patton smiled, bouncing up and down on his toes. Virgil looked a little more nervous, but he nodded.

“Ok! We’re off to Space Mountain!” Roman said and started to run off, Patton doing his best to follow after him. Logan just walked next to Virgil, having come here enough times with Roman to know the way. Patton may have lost Roman in a crowd of middle schoolers on a class trip, but luckily Logan and Virgil caught up with him and lead him the rest of the way. When they arrived at the ride, they found Roman talking to yet another cast member. She looked up as they approached, letting out a small sound of surprise.

“Oh. Well… I think that can be arranged.” She smiled at Roman and turned to grab a phone attached to the wall. The other three weren’t quite sure what was happening, but she spoke. “We have a Magical Moment, i’m sending in a party of four.” Before hanging up and leading the four them into a hallway, down a corridor, and through a door which dropped them off near the front of the line for the rollercoaster. She ushered them into the line before turning to Patton. “Happy Birthday, Patton! I hope you have a magical rest of your day and thank you for choosing to spend it here with us!” Before she disappeared back through the door.

“What was that?” Virgil turned to Roman with a raised eyebrow.

“Oh, they do these Magical Moments sometimes if you get lucky. I might have mentioned I had two people who had never been to Disney… And it was one of their birthdays.. And neither of them had ever been on a rollercoaster before. She didn’t seem to believe me… But then she saw you both, and the buttons.” Roman laughed. “But I thought I’d see if we could do that here… Because the line for this ride is usually at least a couple hours long.”

Virgil and Patton both looked shocked. “Hours?!” Virgil asked incredulously.

“Uh.. Yeah? This is Space Mountain.” Roman said back, matching Virgil’s tone with a bit of a smirk. Virgil just rolled his eyes and let it go, letting out a small huff of laughter as Roman grabbed his hand to hold. Patton looked so excited, watching the rollercoaster cars roll in and out, getting closer and closer to the front of the line. As they were just about first, Roman stepped forward, alerting the ride attendant that they would be needing the back rows. They just looked up and spotted Virgil and Patton before nodding and ushering them to their seats. Roman guided Patton and Logan into the further back two seats and Virgil into the one just in front of them. Both of them had a little trouble figuring out where to put their legs, but they managed to splay them out a bit and cross their ankles, borrowing a bit of their smaller significant other’s leg space, and made it work. The ride attendant seemed hesitant, but when the lap bars clicked, they just smiled and waved them on.

The ride slowly began to roll forward. Patton was so excited, he looked over at Logan with his huge smile, Logan returning one of his own. Virgil had instinctively grasped Roman’s hand, a little nervous about what was about to happen. Roman looked up at him, giving him a reassuring smile and and leaning his head over against him as the ride began to take off. They were pretty quickly plunged into darkness which actually calmed Virgil down somewhat. As they took off, their car speeding off into the unknown, Virgil never let go of Roman’s hand. But for some reason… He was ok. He was having fun. Patton was right behind him, laughing and squealing the whole way, the two of them watching for the first time as the bright lights of the ride’s stars smeared in the darkness.

Toward the end of the ride, there was a bright flash of light, Roman and Logan knowing that it was the flash of a camera, and both of them eager to see the photograph at the end. By the time the ride finished, Virgil had a huge smile on his face. It didn’t compete with Patton’s, but it was still rather impressive. Roman felt a huge swell of pride welling up inside him, seeing how happy and excited they both were as they stepped off the ride. The two of them were just looking at each other, processing that they had just gone on their first rollercoaster. Roman had to take another picture of them before he took them all over to where the pictures were on display.

It didn’t take long for them to locate their photo on the wall, luckily the photo was taken when the ride had dipped downward, so it was easy to see all four of them. Patton had a giant smile spread across his face, gripping the bar with one arm while Logan clung onto his other, the shorter man looking like he was mid-laugh. Virgil’s eyes were closed and was still holding Roman’s hand, but his mouth was open in a joyful side smile that was bigger than had ever been caught on film. Roman was smiling wide, his head turned towards Virgil to make sure he was having fun. All four of them stared at the photo a moment, before Roman pulled out his phone to make sure he had the app so he could download it later.

“What did you think?!” Roman turned excitedly to Patton and Virgil.

“That was so much fun! I loved it!” Patton said happily, clasping his hands together.

“Yeah it was… Definitely.. Fun.” Virgil agreed, a little blush crossing his cheeks as he rubbed the back of his neck. Roman smiled up at him endearingly before turning to Logan who was just smiling gently back at him.

“Alright then! Ready for the next ride?” He asked, bouncing up on his toes. Collective nods led him to continue. “Alright! Let’s go to… Ooo! The teacups!” He said, turning on his heel to lead them out.

“Roman, we were just at the castle, why didn’t we ride the teacups first? We’re already backtracking and this is only the third activity.” Logan called after him, following him at his heels. Virgil and Patton just looked at each other, realizing if they got too far from them then they’d have no idea where they were going. They quickly followed after the two, catching up fairly easily.

They may have lost them once on their way back to the castle, a group of kids walking through and causing them to lose sight of their small guides. The two of them just stopped in place immediately, looking around for them. It only took around a minute or so before the smaller ones realized that they were missing and had to backtrack to collect them in the crowd, each securely grabbing their boyfriend’s hand so they didn’t get separated again as they made their way to the teacups.

The four them stood in the line for the ride, Virgil and Patton watching how the people would climb into the teacups and turn the center disk to make them spin. When they arrived to the front of the line, Virgil instinctively followed after Roman who was making his way to a specific cup. Virgil was stopped, however, when he felt someone grab his hand and pull him back. He was surprised to turn his head and see that it was Logan. Logan shook his head gravely and turned to look up at Patton.

“Patton, maybe you should ride with Roman for this one.” He said softly.

“Ok, Lolo!” Patton leaned down to place a kiss on top of his head and followed Roman into his tea cup. Logan lead Virgil into one next to them, settling in and placing his hands in lap. Virgil raised an eyebrow, but just leaned back and got as comfortable as he could. The ride started up momentarily, neither Logan or Virgil moving to spin the teacup at all. They were both just staring transfixed at the blur of giggles that was their boyfriends in the cup next to them. With their combined strength, they were going exceptionally fast, both of them working together to spin it as quickly as possible.

“…Thanks, Specs. I owe you one.” Virgil muttered, barely even able to keep up with them with his eyes, having no idea what he would have done if he had been inside that mess.

“Of course. I’ve been subjected to Roman on this ride far too many times. And it wasn’t difficult to surmise how Patton would react.” He said with a small huff of laughter. The ride ended with Roman and Patton still giggling, a little dizzy as they looked over at Virgil and Logan, the two of them just looking them over with bemused expressions.

As Patton and Roman ran about like schoolchildren, it became apparent that just as they were suited to each other in this instance, Virgil and Logan were both more content to hang back and discuss the absurdity of the activities they were being dragged into. They both found It’s A Small World repetitive and ridiculousness, and the whole of Toon Town was baffling to say the least. But watching Roman and Patton having the time of their lives still made it more than worth it, and at least they had each other to commiserate with.

It wasn’t much longer after they had finished walking around Fantasyland and Toon Town that it was time for lunch, Roman had made a reservation at the Blue Bayou, which was a restaurant located inside of a ride that they Roman told them they’d be riding soon after. Roman seemed really excited to show them New Orlean’s Square, apparently this was where more things that Virgil would enjoy were located. He gave a glance to Logan who actually nodded to corroborate the claim, so Virgil was optimistic.   
  
Virgil honestly really enjoyed the restaurant, it was dark and it really did seem like they were eating outside at night. The sound of the water around them was also interesting, them hearing the boats for the ride going around the restaurant where they ate their very unique meal. The food was delicious, and Roman definitely made quick work to make sure none of them saw the bill for their meal. The other’s would normally have made a comment, but this was Roman’s big trip so they just let it slide.

After they finished eating, Roman took them to gift shops right outside the restaurant, Virgil of course going right for the Nightmare Before Christmas shop and looking at everything. Patton and Logan shared a smile as they also poked around the shop, looking while Virgil checked out everything in sight. Roman seemed to have some sort of epiphany, whispering in Logan’s ear and running out of the shop to go do something. Virgil eventually picked out several pins and purchased them before he noticed his boyfriend was missing.

“Where did Roman get off to?” He asked, turning around with his black shopping bag.

“He said he needed to go get something and to meet him in the line for the ride. I have no doubt he will be able to find us.” Logan explained with a shrug.

“Sounds good to me! Let’s go get in line then!” Patton smiled and nodded out the door so Logan could lead them to the correct line.

Logan just nodded and lead the two of them to the Pirates of the Caribbean, the three of them talking and hanging out for a long while before Roman finally pushed up through the line and caught up with them, a little out of breath and holding a shopping bag.

“Sorry I took so long!” He said with a smile as he held up the shopping bag.

“It isn’t like you missed anything eventful. What did you need to go do?” Logan asked, eyeing the shopping bag.

“Well I realized something you always have to have from Disneyland!” He smiled and pulled two items out of the bag he was holding. “Ear hats!” He said excitedly as he held them out to the two Smalls.

“Awwww! Roman this is so cute! Thank you!” Patton cooed happily, taking the Winnie the Pooh hat from his outstretched hand and looking it over a moment. Virgil let out a little scoff of laughter as he took the other, a Jack Skellington themed hat and looked it over. They both flipped them over to the back at the same time and found their names embroidered on the back. “Oh my gosh, Roman!” Patton smiled even wider as he placed the hat atop his head.

“Thanks, Ro. These are… Really cool.” Virgil smiled, leaning over to give him a quick kiss. He stood back up and glanced over the two of them a moment. “Hey wait, you two aren’t going to wear hats?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Oh! I have mine and Lo’s in the backpack!” Roman suddenly seemed to remember, pulling off his bag to rummage through it, pulling out a Mickey ear headband with a Fantasia wizard’s cap and handing it to Logan, and a Minnie ear headband for himself. The ears themselves were completely covered in golden sequins, while the bow was covered in red sequins. “Tada!”

Of course, Virgil scoffed and Patton squealed, both of them smiling at the two of them. Roman placed Virgil’s pins in the bag before putting it back on his back and making the two tall ones kneel again so they could get a picture of them all with their hats.

Roman ended up being right about New Orlean’s Square, it was definitely Virgil’s favorite part of the park. They rode Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion, which was easily Virgil’s favorite thing they’d done so far to the surprise of literally no one. They also moved over into Adventureland to get on Indiana Jones and the Jungle Cruise tour, which Patton and Virgil both ended up loving for very different reasons. Their guide delivered all of the corny jokes that were staples of the attraction, but in such a deadpan and sarcastic manner that it ended up appealing to the both of them.

They decided to go on one last ride before they spent the rest of the day walking around and buying any souvenirs they may want that they hadn’t wanted to carry around. Roman ended up choosing Splash Mountain as their final ride, figuring that the log plume would be more comfortable for the two taller men, since their legs could just go forward around the sides of the seats infront of them. They made their way to the final ride, Roman waiting pulling both Virgil and Logan aside separately when the other had Patton distracted to give them both a small rolled up banner and some specific instructions.

They ended up boarding the plume ride in height order, Patton in the far back, Virgil in front of him, Logan next, and Roman in the very front. Patton was none the wiser that there was a plan in the works when they had ridden the ride up to the big hill, their plume ride at the tip of the huge drop. They quickly descended, landing in an enormous splash at the bottom that mostly got the three further back, nearly all of the water having flown right over Roman. Thankfully, after a long day of rides and laughs, they were more amused than anything else and made their way off the ride to go see the picture that had been taken.

Patton let out a huge squeal of laughter and pulled them all in for a hug when he saw the photo, the three of them each holding up a banner in front of their chests and their faces all different reactions to the surprise of the drop. Virgil’s banner said “Happy” while Logan’s read “Birthday,” and Roman’s had “Patton!” Roman made sure to order that photo as well, all of them smiling and laughing as they left the ride.

They walked around the park a while, Roman and Patton picking up a few souvenir’s and Virgil and Logan mostly just trailing around with them, talking and laughing. It only took one more instance of Virgil and Patton losing Roman and Logan in a crowd before Virgil went off and bought two Mickey Mouse head balloons, one red and one blue, and affixing one to each of their wrists. Roman huffed and Logan was fairly bemused, but neither seemed to think it was a solution that didn’t make sense.

By the time the sun was going down, all four of them were fairly tired. But Roman had one last thing they had to do, and lead them all over to where they could watch the famous Disney fireworks. A huge crowd had already amassed and they were standing at the very back of the throng of onlookers. Of course this didn’t bother Patton and Virgil, but Roman seemed a bit upset that their perfect Disney day didn’t end with them having a better view. Patton tapped Virgil on the shoulder, nodding his head down at the two of the their boyfriend’s and then up at the sky, a smile spreading across his face. Virgil quickly picked up on his brother’s plan and the two of them swiftly knelt down so their boyfriend’s could climb up on their backs. Logan and Roman seemed surprised at first, but both just glanced at each other with a smile and obliged, wrapping their arms around their boyfriend’s shoulders and letting them pick them both up.

The four of them stood just like that, watching as the beauty of the fireworks filled the dark sky above them. It really was a glorious ending to a wonderful day.


	23. Christmas

Of course as soon as their Disney trip ended, Roman and Patton both immediately began decking out every inch of their lives in Christmas. The sweaters came out of the closets and were a staple of their wardrobe as the garlands, lights, decorations, ornaments, and festive desserts suddenly seemed to be everywhere. Logan and Virgil joined Patton and Roman at Patton’s house one evening to find the two of them had apparently finished a day of Christmas shopping by going out and choosing an enormous tree to put in Patton’s living room.

Virgil and Logan were unsure how they were managing to somehow be both completely in shock at the size of the massive pine, yet not at all surprised to see it. That evening found the four of them all in their holiday sweaters, Christmas music playing from the stereo, drinking Patton’s patented (patton-ted) Christmas coffee, and decorating the tree all together. They fell into a very comfortable rhythm and system, adding ornaments in different sections of the tree until it was completely decked out and just overflowing with Christmas spirit. Deciding to have Roman put the star atop the 10 foot pine, and the fact that Patton didn’t own a ladder, led to the smallest man sitting atop the tallest one’s shoulders happily placing the golden star at the top as the other two looked on fondly.

They were all going to spend Christmas Eve over at Patton’s house, waking up there to spend the holiday with just the four of them. Roman and Logan’s parents always spent the end of the year in Italy with Eloisa’s parents, and while some years the two Towers sons would accompany them, this was definitely going to be a year that they opted not to go. They were surprised, however, to find that along with sending them gifts home for Christmas, their parents had also sent back boxes addressed to their boyfriends. They had never given presents to any of Roman’s previous significant others… Roman could only assume this was the first step of acceptance that would eventually culminate in his mother’s grand scheme to get some grandchildren… But pushing away that thought for now, he happily slid the two gifts from Italy under the tree with the rest of the festively wrapped boxes.

Roman and Patton were of course counting down every moment until they would be waking up on Christmas morning, both of them beyond excited to spend the holiday all together. Virgil and Logan both watched on, enjoying seeing their significant other’s and brother’s happiness more than anything else.

Even though the two more excitable men would had disagreed, Christmas did come around relatively quickly and it wasn’t actually long before Patton was excitedly waking Logan from his sleep in the master bedroom and Roman was waking Virgil simultaneously just down the hall in one of the guest rooms. Of course it took two pretty sizable mugs of coffee to get the two caffeine addicts down the stairs and to the living room, but sooner rather than later they were gathered downstairs around the tree, the lights twinkling softly as they listened to more quiet Christmas music.

“Alright! How do we want to do presents?” Patton asked excitedly, looking around at the others.

“We could have one person open all their’s at once, then we can all see what they got?” Virgil offered, shrugging noncommittally.

“That sounds good to me! How should we choose who goes first?” Roman asked, just as excited as Patton.

Logan let out a soft scoff and glanced subtly at Virgil. “How about shortest to tallest?”

Roman pouted slightly but Patton let out a laugh. “Sounds good to me, but first… Christmas tradition.” He chuckled, reaching under the tree and grabbing what appeared to be a rolled black piece of fabric tied up with a bow. Virgil chuckled and reached under as well, pulling out the same exact thing but in white. Roman and Logan watched on curiously as the tall brothers exchanged items.

“What’s the tradition?” Logan asked curiously as they both undid the ribbon.

“Every year, we get each other ridiculous t-shirts.” Virgil laughed, unrolling the fabric to reveal his black shirt, just as Patton did the same with his white one.

They both read over what their brother had given them, chuckling before turning them to show the other two. In white lettering, the shirt Virgil had received read “ _Yes, I am very tall. Thank you for pointing that out._ ” While Patton’s shirt read in black “ _6’10”. Now you don’t have to ask._ ” They all shared a good laugh before they set the shirts down to the side and all turned to the tree to pass over their gifts to Roman so he could begin opening.

Roman began with the simple gift bag before him, definitely from Logan. Within the bag he found a set of drinking glasses all etched with silhouettes from several of Roman’s favorite plays, and beside that there was a binder full of specifically shaped plastic pocket pages. It took him a moment to recognize the exact shape.

“Logan, are these for all my playbills?” He asked, his voice surprised and thankful.

“I thought an organizational system for them would be useful, I know how much you enjoy holding onto them.” Logan nodded, watching him.

“Thanks, Lo. This is really nice. And I love the glasses too. Thank you.” Roman said, looking back over him sincerely.

“Of course, Merry Christmas, Roman.”

Roman smiled and pulled over Virgil’s gift, which was two boxes held together with a ribbon. He started with the smaller box ontop, unwrapping it and opening the package to find a golden and exceptionally ornate hand mirror. He flipped it over to see the mirror side and saw that around the edge it read “ _Who’s the fairest of them all?_ ” As much as he loved the Disney reference, and he honestly couldn’t deny how much the gold suited him, he looked up at his boyfriend and rolled his eyes, meeting the emo’s cheeky expression.

“I just know you love to look at yourself, Ro.” He smirked.

“Oh ha, ha.” He placed the mirror back in the small box and moved to the larger one, unwrapping it and opening it to find something soft. Pulling it out, he realized he was holding a red bomber jacket, decorated was subtly embroidered flowers on the front and the sleeves. He turned it around to see that the back of it had a large embroidered design of the dragon Mushu from Mulan. He smiled warmly before looking back up at Virgil.

“This is gorgeous, thanks Virge. I love it.”

“No problem, Ro.” He smiled softly, seeming relieved that he liked the gift.

Roman grabbed the last box before him, undoing the enormous ribbon to find a pair of mugs inside, with rolled fabric placed neatly in each one, and a keychain also visible between the fabric and the mug. The first mug was red, adorned with the silhouette of Mushu, while the fabric appeared to be a shirt that had an image of Wreck-It Ralph, and the keychain was etched with the silhouette of Ariel. Each item also bore the word “ _Best_.” The second mug was light blue with a silhouette of Cricky, the shirt had Fix-It Felix, and the keychain was of Flounder. And of course, each of these items read “ _Friends_.” Roman’s face lit up as he realized what Patton had done, smiling wide as he passed the blue mug over to him.

“Patton! This is the most adorable thing i’ve ever seen! I love it! Thank you!” He smiled, Patton beaming as he took his half of their matching items from him.

“Oh i’m so glad! I hoped you would like it!” Patton smiled from ear to ear.

Roman thanked them all again before moving to start grabbing his gift for Logan, the other two also leaning over to grab their’s and pass them to the taller Towers brother.

The gift from his younger brother made it into his hands first, Logan opening the gift bag and pulling out a very nice light blue journal, a small smile twitching across his lips as he looked over the cover. Placing it down in his lap he pulled out the second item, smiling slightly wider as he looked over the box. He looked back up at Roman as he flipped the items around for the others to all see. The journal was designed to look like the Tardis, and the box contained a chess set which was also Doctor Who themed.

“Thank you, Roman. These are fantastic.” He said. Roman just nodding as he proudly looked on.

He opened Virgil’s gift next, finding the newest edition of Trivial Pursuit and chuckling slightly, knowing Virgil was trying to encourage his and Patton’s ‘ _healthy trivia rivalry_.’ Beside the game box he also found two t-shirts, one that simply read “ _The Book Was Better_ ” and the other which had the image of a tie printed on it. Logan was still chuckling softly as he looked up at his friend.

“This is very amusing, thank you Virgil. I thoroughly enjoy all of these.” He smiled, Virgil looking relieved once again to see that his gift was well received.

He moved to the final gift, from his boyfriend. The large colorfully wrapped box was topped with a huge ribbon that already had Logan smiling at just how  _Patton_ it was. He slid the bow off and ripped open the paper, opening the box to find a bundle of dark blue fabric that was covered in constellations. He curiously unfolded it to find that it was one of those pajama onesies that Patton was so fond of. Logan let out a soft laugh as he looked up at his beaming boyfriend. Beneath the pajamas was a rather large box that he slid his hands around and pulled out of the gift box.

He looked over the sides of the kit, seeing all of what it was listed to contain and several pictures depicting what could be done with the contents.

“What is this, Patton? It appears to contain… Food safe chemical compounds?” He looked up at Patton.

“It’s a Molecular Gastronomy starter kit. It’s a kind of cooking, very modern and trendy… But it’s actually a kind of food science. I thought it would be fun for us to play with. It has a bunch of different tools and techniques for making really interesting things. Like… This is a starter kit, so some of the crazier stuff, we’d have to be in a real professional kitchen to really use. But this has a lot of the powders and compounds for, like, changing consistency, altering form entirely… It’s about the science of cooking and knowing how and why it all works.” Patton tried to explain, gesturing back to the list on the side of the box.

“…That sounds fascinating. Thank you, Patton. I look forward to learning more about it.” He said, looking up to him with a smile. Patton was beaming as he looked back down at him.

“I’m so glad, I think we will have a lot of fun.” Patton responded as Logan pushed his gifts off to the side and they all began to get their gifts for Virgil.

Logan was the first one to get a gift into Virgil’s reach, also sliding over the gift from his and Roman’s parents. Virgil started with Logan’s, pulling tissue paper out of a bag to find a rather heavy plastic zipper bag. He managed to slide it out and looked over the item in his lap, reading the cover.

“A weighted blanket?” Virgil asked, looking up at Logan. He had never heard of such a thing.

“It’s something I believe may come in handy for you. They are shown to help people who have things like anxiety or insomnia, which I know you deal with from time to time. It took a little bit of research, but this one should actually be a large enough blanket for you to cover yourself entirely. It is 6 feet by 8 feet.” Logan explained.

“Oh.. Thank you, Logan. I’ll give it a try.” He said, his small smile showing his gratitude much moreso than his words did.

“Of course.”

Virgil tore into Patton’s gift next, opening the colorfully wrapped present to find a new pair of noise canceling headphones. He playfully rolled his eyes at his younger brother, knowing he had been telling him to replace his own rather dilapidated pair for weeks on end. There was also a new black sketchbook and a set of drawing pencils.

“Thank you, Pat. I’ll be sure to put these to good use.” He smiled a bit playfully as he pulled over his next present.

“Of course, Virge.” Patton chuckled.

Roman’s gift to him was similar to his own gift to Roman, as it was a smaller box atop a larger one. As he opened the first box he found an eyeshadow palette, opening it up to see that every shade within was black but labeled with a different name. He rolled his eyes with a small chuckle as he traced over “ _Obsidian,” “Midnight,” “Noir,” “Onyx,_ ” and several others with his eyes.

“Thanks, Ro. You certainly know my colors.” He said with a jokingly flat tone.

“I just thought you could branch out a little… You know, try some more..  _Summery_ shades.” He laughed, watching with amusement.

Virgil sat the makeup down, silently admitting that it would honestly come in handy and last him a long time, and tore into the other box. Within the large box was a single envelope, which he grabbed with a raised eyebrow and reached in to pull out two tickets.

“Concert tickets? …Roman, thank you. I haven’t been to a concert in forever.” Virgil said, perking up slightly as he read over them.

“I thought it could be fun for us to go, it’s in a couple weeks.” He said, happy his boyfriend seemed so excited.

“For sure, I can’t wait.” He carefully slid the envelope into the smaller box with the makeup palette and then grabbed his gift from the Towers.

He had no idea what to expect, but it was a rather heavy box which he carefully opened, finding a garment box sitting just below the top. He curiously opened it up to find a really nice leather jacket. His eyes widened, looking over the gorgeous article of clothing. He pulled it out to show them all.

“…This is amazing. I.. I’ve never had anything this nice to wear before.” He said, running a hand over the material.

“I was wondering what they may have sent. But that makes sense, Italy is known for it’s leather after all. Amongst many other things, such as -“ Logan began to explain as Virgil looked into the box and let out a laugh, interrupting him.

“…Such as… Wine?” Virgil chuckled, reaching in and pulling out a rather nice bottle wrapped in bubble wrap. “…There is so much wine in this box.” He laughed, looking to see the remainder of the box stacked with carefully packed wine bottles.

“Ohhh yeah. They always send wine back. It’s the best.” Roman smiled, leaning over to look into the box before moving to grab the present from his parents for Patton and sliding it over to him.

Patton curiously opened the gift, finding several bottles of authentic Italian olive oil and balsamic vinegar, a few jars of dried herbs and spices, and then just as many bottles of wine as they had sent to Virgil. He chuckled slightly, but smiled back up at them.

“We will definitely have to send our thanks, I know i’ll make great use of all of this.” Patton smiled, already thinking about the dishes he’d prepare with all they had sent him.

“We can call them later, but fiiirst… Pat, you have to open my present!” Roman said, excitedly reaching under the tree, pulling out a flat box, and immediately scooting next to Patton to hand it to him. The tall man gave him an appreciative smile and nodded.

“Aw thank you, Roman!” He said excitedly. As he looked down to start getting the paper off the box, Virgil began to stand.

“I know what’s in that one, so i’m gonna run to the bathroom. Don’t wait on my account.” He shrugged, walking away, no one really paying any attention to the fact that he apparently had chosen to use the bathroom upstairs rather than the closer one downstairs.

Patton just nodded and opened the gift, finding a scrapbook inside that Roman had obviously made himself. His breath caught in his throat a little bit but he flipped open the cover to see a title page all done up in Disney decorations that read “ _Patton’s Disney Birthday!_ ” As Patton’s eyes widened he continued to flip through it, finding that Roman had printed out all the pictures that he had taken at Disneyland, as well as getting the photos that had been taken on the rollercoasters and putting them into the scrapbook as well. He had included all of their park tickets, the deflated balloons that they had tied to Roman and Logan, their buttons… Everything.

The tallest man looked back at Roman with so much happiness in his eyes that he was almost crying. “…This is so thoughtful, Roman… I love this with all my heart. I..” He couldn’t help but throw his arms around him, pulling him in for a hug. Roman immediately hugged him back.

“I’m so glad you like it, Patton. I just wanted to make sure you had all the memories all together and could look at them whenever you like.” Roman said, holding him tight.

“…It’s perfect. Thank you.” He said, giving him a good squeeze but careful not to crush him.

It took a few good moments before Patton closed the scrapbook and placed it to the side of him, looking up again to see Logan was pushing a rather large box in front of him.

“Virgil and I decided to get your present together. This is the first part and you’ll get the other piece after you open this.” Logan explained.

“Should I open it now or should I wait for Virge?” He asked, looking at the large box.

“Go ahead and open it, i’m sure he’ll be back any moment.” Roman shrugged.

Patton nodded and pulled off the paper, opening the box to see a rather large plush toy inside. He reached in and pulled it out, finding it surprisingly realistic and heavy as he settled it in his lap to look down at it.

“Awww.. It’s a little plush puppy! This is adorable! I love it!” Patton cooed, looking over the toy.

Virgil’s voice suddenly sounded from behind Patton, him surprising all of them with how he had eased back into the room without any of them noticing. “Lo, you were supposed to put a bow on it. Here, Patton let me see it for a second.” He said, reaching from behind him to take the stuffed animal, Patton handing it over without a second thought. It was at that moment that Virgil switched out the plush with what was in his hands, plopping it softly down into Patton’s lap.

Patton didn’t seem to really notice anything out of the ordinary, besides the fact that Virgil seemed to hand the gift back too quickly to have added a bow… That was until the animal in his lap stirred. Patton’s eyes blew completely wide, realizing that the dog was now looking back up at him with huge brown eyes, blinking sleepily. He seemed to be trying to contain his excitement, a strange high pitched sound barely escaping his lips as his hands slowly moved to pet the large puppy.

It took Patton a long time to find words, his attention so focused on the puppy as his hands moved across her soft brown fur so gently and slowly, but once he did manage to speak it came out in an excited yet hushed whisper. “…You got me a puppy?”

The three of them couldn’t help but have huge smiles on their faces, looking at Patton’s joy.

“Yes, Patton. You have a puppy. She’s all your’s.” Virgil said softly, leaning over to look over him, holding his new companion so excitedly.

“She is a Newfoundland. She’s… Well, she isn’t exactly  _small_ now.” Logan chuckled, looking at the nearly 20 pound puppy, large enough to overflow from even Patton’s huge hands. “But she’s going to be quite large when she’s full grown… More than likely heavier than either Roman or I.”

“And this breed is known to be sweet and pretty calm… Just giant.” Virgil added, smiling softly.

“…You two got him…  _Him_. But as a dog.” Roman said, looking over the puppy, she had already curled up in Patton’s lap, going back to sleep.

“…I love her. Thank you. Thank you both so much. I’m going to take such good care of her and… Does she have a name?” He asked, looking back across his boyfriend and his brother.

“You get to name her, Pat.” Virgil said, smiling even wider.

Patton looked down at the sleeping puppy, his hands still moving through her warm brown fur. She was perfect. And she would always make Patton think of the joy of the holidays. He took a deep breath in as he thought it over, suddenly getting a huge whiff of those warm spices he associated with Christmas.

“…Nutmeg.” He said, chuckling slightly. She stirred again softly, making a tiny sleepy sound before curling against him a bit more and dozing back off.

“I think she likes it.” Roman chuckled.

They eventually explained to Patton that the rest of the gift was all the basics that he’d need for the puppy, as well as a few books on training that Logan had already begun reading. They spent the rest of the day cleaning up and all of them getting a chance to hold and coo over Nutmeg, playing with the adorably clumsy puppy once she finally woke up. It wasn’t until after Patton’s delicious, and unsurprisingly Italian, Christmas dinner that Virgil and Roman packed up their gifts and said their goodbyes.

They made it back to Virgil’s apartment and stepped in the door, setting everything down and immediately turning to each other and opening their mouths to speak. They paused, already realizing the other was about to say the same thing. Smiling, they moved apart, Roman going to the side of the couch where he had stashed one more present as Virgil went into the hall closet to grab one he had stashed as well.

Roman’s gift was a box about the size of his torso and Virgil’s was only about an inch thick, but nearly as tall as he was. They exchanged items, Virgil waiting to open his own so he could watch his boyfriend tear the paper off and see what he had given him. Roman’s eyes blew completely wide, rotating the gift to see that it was a huge painting that Virgil had obviously done himself. It was a gorgeous depiction of the Disney castle at night, fireworks lighting up the sky around it. He couldn’t help but notice that in the center, just above the castle were two large heart-shaped fireworks, one in purple and one in red. Roman’s expression was of complete awe, looking up at Virgil with admiration, completely speechless.

Virgil’s heart swelled, seeing Roman’s reaction to his painting and suddenly remembered he had one to open as well. He tore into the box, finding a teddy bear inside. He pulled it out and smiled warmly, looking over the Build-a-Bear that was dressed just like his boyfriend in a little pair of jeans, a white shirt, and a red jacket over the top. He was going to put the box down when he noticed a tiny piece of paper within it and grabbed it, reading the note that said to squeeze the bear’s right hand. He placed the box down, holding the bear and doing as he was instructed, suddenly hearing Roman’s voice coming from the stuffed toy.

Roman had obviously intended for the bear to be a comfort for Virgil when he wasn’t there himself, the recorded message was soft and sweet, telling Virgil how much Roman loved him and that everything would going to be alright, if he really needed him he knew he was just a call away and he’d be right there as soon as he could if Virgil asked him to be. The end of the message added, “…But if you just want to hear me a bit more, you can squeeze the bear’s other hand.” Virgil was already nearly in tears, holding the bear close when he squeezed it’s other hand, hearing Roman’s beautiful singing voice suddenly playing from it, singing softly and soothingly. Virgil gently sat the bear down after the song ended, immediately moving into his boyfriend’s arms and holding him tight. Roman was squeezing him back, the two locked in an embrace for a long time before Virgil broke their loving silence.

“….Thank you, Ro. Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, Virgil.”


	24. Fever Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (fever warning)

The end of the year and all the excitement had really taken a toll on Roman. It was only a couple days after their first Christmas as new couples had passed and Roman was now out with a fever. But seeing as he wasn’t contagious, and neither he nor Virgil had the necessary forethought to have much of anything on hand to deal with sickness of any kind… He and Virgil had ended up over at Patton’s, as the two more responsible brothers a little better at handling this kind of thing.

It had been a bit of a struggle to get the stubborn two over there, but seeing as Patton promised a movie marathon, homemade soup, snuggles with Nutmeg, and a comfortable couch to hang out on… They ended up giving in after a relatively short while.

The afternoon found all four of them in Patton’s living room, Patton and Logan snuggled up on the love seat, Virgil and Roman bundled together on the couch. Mulan was playing on the television, a movie of Roman’s choosing of course, and they were all quietly watching the film as Patton’s meal simmered in the kitchen.

Roman had been doing his best not to give in to his sickness, but if he was being honest with himself, he was definitely feeling fairly drained. And he was so comfortable where he was sitting… And the smell of the soup from the kitchen was so homey and nice… Virgil looked down about half way through the film to see his small boyfriend had dozed off in his arms. He just smiled down at him and shifted him slightly more into his lap, making sure he was laying comfortably as he slept.

Roman awoke sometime later, moving a hand to his hair to run his fingers through it in slight confusion. He had immediately realized he was in a bed… Did someone move him here? He hadn’t been /that/ out… Had he? Well, at minimum, he wasn’t feeling so feverish anymore. He swung his legs out of the bed and went to slide to rest them on the floor when he found that he hit the ground much sooner than he had anticipated. He glanced down, seeing his long legs resting easily on the ground, knees lifted off the bed to allow his feet to rest comfortably.

Wait. What? He reached up to rub his eyes, confused by what he was seeing. But even after doing so, he looked down and saw the same thing. He had to go figure out what was going on. He used his arms to push himself up from the bed, moving to his feet and momentarily swaying a bit as he found his balance, not feeling unlike a baby giraffe trying to coordinate it’s long limbs for the first time. After taking a few long moments to find his bearings, he walked out of the room, absolutely shocked when he realized his hair had brushed the doorframe as he moved through it.

He made his way to the stairs and walked down, holding on the handrail for support, and rounded the corner at the bottom to make his way into the living room. He could hardly believe his eyes. Seated there were the other three, just as he had remembered them before he fell asleep.. Except not. Virgil was curled up in a tiny ball on the couch, the short man glancing up from his phone as Roman had entered the room. Logan and Patton were still cuddled together on the loveseat, but it was his exceptionally tall older brother who held the tiny and adorable Patton in his lap.

“…Are you alright, Roman? You appear to still be disoriented. Did you not sleep well?” Logan asked, his voice still sharp and clear, but far deeper than Roman recalled it being.

“Yeah, you still look real out of it, Stilts. Come on, sit down.” Came a playful tone from Virgil, the mini Emo popping up from the couch to walk over to him and grab his hand, tugging him slightly. Roman stared down at Virgil, not knowing what to make of his boyfriend being below his shoulder height. “…Yeah, you really need to sit down. Are you alright, Ro?” Virgil asked, tugging again, his voice growing more concerned.

“I.. Yeah, I’m just… Out of it, I think.” He shook his head, once again bringing his hand to face as though it would help him make sense of things. He allowed Virgil to lead him to sit, collapsing a bit into the couch and Virgil nestling into his side.

“Maybe we should try and get some food in you, Roman! I’ll go check on the soup!” Came Patton’s small adorable voice.

“I’ll assist you, Patton.” Logan said, looking down at the small man with such a soft loving expression on his face.

“Okies, Lolo! Thanks!” Patton beamed, taking Logan’s hand and standing, waiting as the nearly 7 foot giant beneath him stood and followed along behind him. Roman’s eyes followed the bespectacled couple as they disappeared from view into the kitchen, hardly believing as he saw Logan instinctively duck his head to pass through the doorway.

He turned back to Virgil, seeing the small Emo looking up at him, concern in his makeup-dusted eyes. Roman simply smiled back down at him, moving to lace their fingers together and chuckling slightly at how his hands dwarfed the much thinner pale one’s of his boyfriend.

“What’s so funny?” Virgil asked, his eyes narrowing slightly as he questioned the amusement on his face.

“Nothing, nothing. I’m just still really out of it, I think. Everything is.. Kinda backwards.” He explained, still chuckling.

“Well yeah, because you don’t take care of yourself when you’re sick, you giant dummy.” Virgil smirked, scooting his way into Roman’s lap.

“Oh yeah? And since when are you the voice of reason around here, shortstack?” He laughed a bit, watching as Virgil got comfortable, nestling himself into his chest.

“Duh, since always. Man, you really must be sick if you’ve forgotten that. But don’t worry, Ro. We’ve got you. Just rest, alright?” Virgil said, taking Roman’s long arms and wrapping them around himself.

“I am, I am. I know you three have things under control. I just feel… Yeah.. Backwards.” He explained, still looking around at things with an eyebrow raised.

“Well hopefully some soup and maybe another nap will clear things up again. I’m sure it won’t be too longer before the food is ready.” Virgil shrugged, looking back at the television to see Mulan nearly over.

It was only a few minutes before Patton’s voice sailed from the kitchen. “Hey Virge, will you let Roman know soup is about ready? We should probably get some food in him.”

“Sure thing, Pat. I’ll wake him up.” Virgil replied. Roman was confused all over again… He was awake. He and Virgil had just been talking… And why did their voices sound deeper again?

Virgil softly grasped Roman’s arm, shaking it slightly. “Roooomann….”

Roman looked down at him, confused. “Huh?”

“Rooomaaan… Wake up… It’s time for some soup…”

“Virgil, i’m awake.”

“Come on, Ro… You can sleep again after we eat.”

“I…” Roman blinked hard a few times, suddenly finding he was laying in Virgil’s lap, looking up at him.

“Well, good morning, Tinkerbell. Welcome back to the realm of the living. How was your nap?” Came the slightly bemused tone of the tall emo.

Roman looked around once again, finding he was in Patton’s living room. He glanced down at himself, seeing his small body laying out across the couch, before looking at up at Virgil and seeing his lanky boyfriend back to his correct size.

“I…” He began before movement caught his eye and he saw Patton reentering the living room, holding a bowl of soup in one hand and a glass of water in the other. He watched as Patton ducked to dodge the doorframe, before looking to the side to see his older brother sitting in the love seat on his phone. They were both back to normal as well.

“…You ok, Ro? You look a little confused.” Virgil asked, drawing Roman’s attention back to the tall man he was laying on.

“Yeah… Yeah, i’m good. Just.. uh… Weird dream.”


	25. New Year's Eve

Luckily, Roman was over his fever within a day or so and was feeling back to his usual self. He made his way over to Virgil’s apartment, unlocking the door and heading inside to go find his boyfriend.

“Vir-“ he started to call out, but he paused as he heard a soft and low sound coming from the staircase. He closed the door behind him and walked in, what the sound must have been very slowly dawning on him.

Roman rushed forward to find the source, expecting to see his tall boyfriend sitting either at the top of the steps or simply upon them, but as his eyes snapped immediately to the landing of the second floor, he wasn’t met with a view of his boyfriend’s face but instead of his feet. His eyes traveled down the steps, down his legs to his torso until he realized that he was actually laying on his back down the stairs, with his head close to the bottom. His eyes were shut, completely lost in the music that was playing from the headphones that Patton had given him for Christmas. Roman stared on in disbelief as he took a moment to comprehend the sight before him. That couldn’t be comfortable in any sense of the word… But if he was being honest with himself, this wasn’t the most outlandish place he had ever found the strange emo.

But that wasn’t even the thing that had Roman so surprised. It was the fact that Virgil was singing. Quietly, just loud enough for his boyfriend to make out the words now that he was standing at the base of the steps. The shorter man’s jaw nearly dropped, he had never heard his boyfriend sing before. And his tone was absolutely gorgeous, Roman just about melting at the sound. He didn’t really know what to do, a small part of him wanted to sit quietly and listen… And the rest of him was Roman Towers, who did not operate in that fashion whatsoever.

“Virge!” He called out, startling the man on the steps who immediately opened his eyes to see Roman standing there looking over him.

“Uh.. Hey.” He said meekly, reaching to pull off his headphones and looking back at him with a blush slowly spreading across his cheeks.

“Why didn’t you tell me you could sing?! And.. Why are you laying down the stairs?” He asked, tilting his head to the side as he looked at him upside down.

“…I don’t know… Uh… I’m not that good? So I don’t like… Advertise it, I guess. And… It just looked like a good place to be, I guess?”

“What do you mean you’re not that good?! I could tell just from you doing that quietly that you have serious talent!”

Virgil just blushed harder. “N-no… Uh.. Patton was always the one who could sing. Not me.”

“Patton can sing too?! And neither of you told me?! This is a travesty! A travesty that must be remedied as soon as possible!”

“…If the travesty was you not knowing… Hasn’t it already been remedied?”

“…Shut up. That’s not what I meant. I meant that we’ve never sung together! And I’m going to fix that!”

“I have concerns.”

And with that, Operation: New Year’s Eve Party was now underway. Roman bounded away from the steps and to the couch, grabbing a notebook and starting to plan a party. Virgil looked on, half concerned and half bemused, but he had had this rambunctious little man in his life for long enough at this point to know that there was really no stopping him once he had set his heart on something. Virgil watched on, seeing Roman jotting down notes in his gorgeous calligraphic handwriting and sketching out a little layout of what he was planning.

“…So, we’re going to your apartment then?” Virgil asked, looking over the sketch his boyfriend had drawn up.

“Yeah, that way I can set it up perfectly!” He explained excitedly.

Virgil was quiet for just a moment too long before making a small sound. “Hm.”

“What?”

“Who are you planning on inviting over?”

“Probably Patton and Logan… Reggie and Julia, maybe?”

“…Have you had Patton over to your house before?”

“No… Why do you ask?”

“…Just wondering if you had considered the fate of my  _very_ tall… And sometimes  _dangerously_ clumsy younger brother. In  _your_ apartment.” Virgil said nonchalantly, a small smirk going up the side of his face as he watched Roman consider what he had said.

“….Hmm.” He made a noise of contemplation as he moved back to the notes and jotted a few more things down before turning back to his boyfriend. “Can you bring some stuff to make drinks? You know what everyone likes, right? And Patton will probably volunteer to make snacks…. Should I ask Reggie and Julia to bring anything?”

“…Let me text Julia, she’s definitely the reasonable one.”

Tall Ass Edge Boi💀: Hey Jules, Ro is throwing a NYE party and you two have to come. Do you want to bring anything?

Idiot’s Handler: Honey, just bringing ourselves is gift enough.

“…Damn it. Reggie is ruining her.” Virgil laughed and went to show Roman the text exchange when his phone buzzed again.

Idiot’s Handler: Okay but seriously is there anything you might need or want? I can definitely bring something. Extra things to drink or snacks or anything?

Tall Ass Edge Boi💀: …. Anything you think is fine. I’m bringing drinks, Pat will probably bring snacks.

Idiot’s Handler: Oki! :)

“She will bring something, so that’s taken care of.” Virgil shrugged.   
“Perfect! Logan can bring some of his games and I’ll, of course, be providing decorations and the main entertainment!”

“…Right. The main entertainment being.. What exactly?” Virgil raised an eyebrow.

“Karaoke!” Roman said, smirking up at his boyfriend who had immediately turned a beat redder.

“…Great.”

—

It wasn’t a surprise to anyone that Patton volunteered to make a spread of delicious snacks for the party. Normally he’d take a little more time to decide on a selection, but seeing as he knew everyone who would be in attendance and he only had a couple days to prepare, he decided it was best to just default to a few loved staples. Virgil also knew what he needed to bring so he made sure he had the essentials, definitely including that coffee Reggie had recommended to him and Logan on that day that the two of them first met.

And with those few preparations, at least on everyone’s end besides Roman’s, the days went by easily enough and they all made their way over to Roman’s apartment during the evening of the 31st.

Virgil rode over with Patton and Logan, directing them on how to get there and then leading them up to Roman’s apartment. Virgil had sent over what he would need to Roman’s house the day his boyfriend had the idea for the party, and had been under strict instruction that he wasn’t allowed to come over until New Year’s Eve. So whatever awaited them was just as much of a surprise to him as it was to everyone else.

They arrived to the door, Logan ringing the doorbell as both of the Smalls held Patton’s travel containers, stacked high. As Roman ushered them in and to the kitchen, they both went to place the food down on the countertop, above which was a fairly low-hanging cabinet. In unison they leaned down to place the containers, foreheads immediately making contact with the edge of said cabinet. On instinct they both jumped back, but they were confused that they hadn’t felt the pain of the impact. Further inspection of the area they had bumped showed that apparently Roman had bought brightly colored pool noodles, cut them, then affixed them to the cabinet to make a sort of bumper.

They glanced at each other in slight bemusement before they looked around the rest of the apartment. Every doorway, low hanging support beam, and kitchen cabinet had a bright foam bumper on the edges. Turning back to Roman with slightly raised eyebrows, the short man had never looked more proud of himself.

“I made them Small proof!” He said, proudly placing his hands on his hips and beaming up at them. Patton and Virgil couldn’t help but let out a laugh and smile back down at Roman.

“…I can’t even say it’s unnecessary. We both hit it already.” Virgil shook his head, playfully lamenting that he had to admit his boyfriend made a rather smart decision.

“Thank you, Roman. I appreciate it.” Patton laughed, moving back to the containers and starting to open them, seeing that Roman had already placed out serving plates.

Logan was equally bemused by his brother’s surprisingly ingenious idea, but said nothing and just moved to help Patton set up his food onto the serving plates. Roman just laughed, obviously still quite impressed with himself, before moving to double/triple/quadruple check his decorations.

The doorbell rang after a short while, Roman welcoming Reggie and Julia inside. Once their snacks were in bowls and their extra drinks were chilling in the fridge, Roman wasted no time at all in ushering everyone over to the living room so they could get karaoke underway. Virgil conveniently decided to get working on fixing everyone their preferred drinks, letting Roman get the first song in without him dragging him into kicking off the night with a duet.

No one fell for this move, of course, but Roman was more than happy to start them off for the night. He chose something big, something he could use to show off with, which came as a surprise to no one, and ended up being Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey. Patton was smiling from ear to ear as he heard his friend not only doing an absolutely amazing job, but also how much fun he was obviously having. This of course led to Patton volunteering to go next. He made a rather interesting selection, Whistle by Flo Rida, which had very thinly veiled suggestive lyrics. Glances went around the room, eyes silently arguing whether or not he was being adorably naive or actually messing with them.

They didn’t have the chance to find out, because as soon as he had finished he chose the next target, which ended up being Julia, and handed over the microphone. She seemed a bit embarrassed, but with some encouragement from the group she made her way up and made a song selection. And seeing as Reggie was the only one who was already privy to the information, his was the only jaw that didn’t drop when she opened her mouth and began to sing so beautifully. By the end of her song, her nerves slowly having ebbed away the longer she went on, Roman was already on his feet and choosing another song as soon as her’s finished.

Julia looked back at Roman with a bit of confusion and instinctively began to hold out the microphone for him when he just grinned and bent down to the machine, picking up the second one before turning to look at the screen. Her gaze followed his and she let out a small bemused laugh as she saw what he had selected, realizing he had apparently deemed her his new duet partner. All she could do was smile as the two of them did a duet of A Whole New World from Aladdin. Apparently Roman had been waiting for someone to do the Princess parts so he could be in his preferred role as the Prince.

Their friends all watched on as the two of them did the adorable duet, smiling and laughing. Roman noticed that Reggie seemed to be ready to pop up, but Patton beat him to the punch and Julia immediately handed over the microphone to the large man. Roman had apparently set the tone for the Disney songs to come out, as Patton immediately selected Hakuna Matata to sing with him. The two of them had a lot of fun as they danced about and sang together. As it ended, Pat turned his best puppy dog eyes on Logan who let out a soft sigh and stood to sing with him. The smaller bespectacled man blushed his way all the way through Once Upon A Dream from Sleeping Beauty, thankful that Patton did the majority of the singing.

After Patton got Logan to sing, Roman gave Virgil a look that told him he was out of excuses. Virgil just playfully groaned and stood, letting Roman choose for the pair of them. He was expecting some over the top and dramatic Disney duet, his boyfriend definitely making him be the princess. But he was surprised when soft music began to play, Roman starting up the opening part to Like I’m Gonna Lose You, singing the Meghan Trainor part and leaving John Legend’s half for Virgil. He joined in, looking back at his boyfriend with a soft smile and blush, almost forgetting completely their friends were around them. The song ended, Roman pulling his boyfriend in for a kiss.

As they pulled away, Virgil suddenly remembering the situation at hand and blushing more darkly, he tried to flee but Roman didn’t let him off the hook that easily. He quickly queued up another song and surprised them all by tossing the microphone back to Julia. Both she and Virgil were confused and slightly embarrassed, but quickly gave half-hearted glares to Roman as they laughed at his selection. Neither admitted they had quite a bit of fun singing Wake Me Up by Evanescence together, but they definitely did.

Throughout the night up to that point, Roman had definitely noticed something. Every time Reggie seemed to want to get up and sing, after the first time when Patton unknowingly stopped him, either Julia or Virgil would suddenly distract him. Either asking him a question or showing him something, suddenly asking him to pass the snacks.. Anything to seemingly keep him from getting up to the microphone. Roman was confused, and also dreadfully curious. He had never seen Reggie pick up anything he didn’t excel at. He had never heard a story of Reggie not being absolutely perfect at anything he attempted. And Roman was sure if that story existed, he’d have heard it. If there was one thing about Julia and Virgil, they absolutely loved to try and knock Reggie’s ego down a peg.

But now, with both of the edgy people in attendance singing a song together, no one stopped him from popping up as they were done and picking out a song. Julia and Virgil shot each other a glance, but ultimately just moved to sit back on the couch, watching as Reggie made his selection. He picked something dramatic and showy, obviously enjoying himself to a T as he put on his performance. Roman had never seen someone with so much natural stage presence. This man oozed confidence and it was obvious that he had no issues showing off. Roman was sure that if this scene before him had no sound… Or if it was a lip sync contest, Reggie would probably be the most talented person he’d ever seen.

Unfortunately. There was sound. And they all had a front row seat to discovering that apparently, and obviously completely unbeknownst to the man himself, Reggie could not sing a note to save his life. He was completely and utterly tone deaf, selling it with his confidence, but his voice certainly didn’t hold up to the show he was putting on. There was simply stunned silence as they all watched on, Virgil and Julia both sitting with mouthes pulled into completely flat lines, obviously knowing that this was going to happen. Luckily, Reggie seemed to take the stunned silence as praise and bowed deeply, smirking all the while.

Surprising to everyone, Virgil immediately popped up and grabbed the second microphone, selecting a duet for him and Reggie to sing together. Everyone else looked on, having no idea what Virgil was planning when a pop song with a rapper on the track came on. Virgil handled the actual singing, Reggie confidently and easily handling the rapping. It was apparent that as long as he wasn’t actually singing, he sounded perfectly fine at the more talking parts. They all seemed to bank that information, smiling and applauding the two of them as they finished.

They continued on for quite some time, Roman far too proud of himself for making Logan play the part of the exasperated Zazu as he sang I Just Can’t Wait To Be King from the Lion King, Patton and Roman doing an adorable duet of the Bare Necessities from The Jungle Book, and several other adorable and funny choices.

After this eventful night of fun and friends, they all eventually found themselves sitting around the living room, snuggled against their significant others, watching the ball drop on television as the countdown to midnight began. It was comfortable and happy, each of them joining in to the count as it got closer and closer.

Midnight struck as the cheers sounded, pairs of eyes meeting in side glances to ensure all of them had the same idea in mind. With soft smiles, it was moments before their cheers were cut off and the couple’s lips met in soft kisses, all celebrating the New Year and being excited about what was to come.


	26. The Powerpoint

Roman ripped yet another page from his note pad, crumpled it in his fist, and then threw it over his shoulder before going back to trying to jot down his notes. This just wasn’t working the way he needed it to. None of this was right. He normally wasn’t this bad at organization and this kind of planning…. But he knew someone who was amazing at it!

Roman quickly scrambled to find his phone and immediately scrolled to and clicked his brother’s contact info. The phone had only rung once before Roman was pacing about his living room.

It took an agonizing three rings before the phone picked up and he heard Logan’s voice on the other end of the line. “Hello, this is Logan.”

“…Lo, I know you have caller ID. Why would you introduce yourself? It’s me.”

“Yes, I do, but it is still a more professional way to answer the telephone.”

“…You’re such a nerd.”

He heard his older brother sigh before he responded. “Roman, was there a reason for this call?”

“Oh yeah! So I’m trying to figure out what to do for Virgil’s birthday but i’m stuck and I can’t come up with something just right and i need to find just the perfect thing for him and i don’t want it to be too much because he wouldn’t like that and I know he gets anxious but if i go too simple than what if he thinks that I don’t care enough and what if he wanted something more special and it’s his first birthday since we’ve been together and I don’t want him not to know how much I care about him and-” Roman rambled on, only stopping because he was interrupted.

Logan cut him off, his tone exasperated. “Roman. Roman. Calm down. …What is it you are asking of me?”

Roman sighed, getting to the point. “…I can’t organize my ideas well. My living room is covered in balled up pieces of paper.”

“Ah. …Do you wish to get input on your ideas? Or do you just want to organize them so you, yourself, can more easily review them?”

“Getting some feedback might be nice.. I am pretty stumped for now.”

“I have a projector I can set up in my offi- …Patton’s spare room. You could create a powerpoint presentation and then have those you want input from come over to Patton’s so they can view it and offer their insight.” Logan corrected himself with an embarrassed sounding cough.

Roman didn’t even have time to make a comment on Logan’s slip up. “Oh! I could do that! Ok! Umm.. I’ll work on that and get back to you! Thanks Lo!”

Roman hung up before Logan had a chance to chime back in, but that wasn’t exactly out of the norm when the younger Towers brother got excited.

It only took a day or so before Roman had put together his presentation and managed to find a time where he could gather everyone he knew that knew Virgil and get them over to Patton’s house. Logan had set up the projector, aiming it at a white board he had hung up on the wall.

He managed to cram just about everyone into the room, Patton having brought in a couple of chairs from around the house, but a couple of them still ended up on the floor or in a lap. Roman began his presentation, looking over Patton, Logan, Reggie, Julia, Charlotte, and of course Nutmeg.

“You are probably wondering why i’ve gathered you all here today.” He began, loading up the powerpoint.

That earned him nearly a full room of eyerolls. “No, not really. The instructions were pretty clear, Mini Wheat.” Reggie gestured with one hand vaguely, earning small snickers of laughter from both Julia and Charlotte.

Roman huffed, dramatically gesturing with the remote Logan had handed him. “Alright, that’s already enough from the peanut gallery. Moving on…” Roman clicked the remote, bringing up the first slide.

What occurred over the better portion of what felt like hours to his captive audience, was something that only Roman could truly produce. The room was instantly completely lost in the jumble of WordArt, animations, slide transitions, bright colors, moving pictures, and sound effects to even almost focus on what the slides actually said.

Every slide was crammed full of information, far too much information, all written out in long rambling sentences. There seemed to be barely any structure and Roman was almost reading it out word-for-word. The only positive was that he was not reading it from the presentation, more from memory, making it feel like his presentation had been written by an overworked speech to text program, barely able to keep up with Roman’s overexcited rambling. Logan was sat staring at each new slide with increasing incredulity, baffled by how Roman could be related to him if this was how he created a presentation.  
  
The images were thrown haphazardly onto the slides, some overlapping in ways that made others nearly impossible to see. Patton, nearly overwhelmed by the amount of writing on each of the slides, focused more on what Roman was saying, because it was obvious that the actual Powerpoint was getting them absolutely no where. What the others would have found truly precious had they been able to rip their eyes away from that train wreck of a presentation, was Patton’s confused head tilt being copied by Nutmeg, who was sitting in his lap, seeming like she was also trying to understand what on Earth was going on.

It had taken several minutes, after finding a fixed point to look at and completely ignoring the visual aspect of the presentation, that Patton was able to find a way to listen and comprehend the excitable man before them. Once he had been able to find that small window of focus, the tallest of them realized what was really going on here. Roman really did just want to come up with the best birthday he could for Virgil, who was so very important to him. He was just so nervous about it being perfect, that this sheer nonsense had been what sprung from it. Patton couldn’t help but be endeared by the insanity that was before them. From that point onward, he did his best to pepper in positive yet constructive commentary whenever Roman had to pause to breathe. Unfortunately for everyone else, they had not been able to accomplish this feat as Patton had, and were only growing even more confused by how he was able to respond to this display at all.  
  
Roman seemed to have put a lot of time into deciding which colors would immediately cause every person in the room to develop a massive headache, at least that was the only explanation Reggie could come up with for the painfully bright background colors Roman had decided to use. It was not at all helped by the font or text colors that he’d decided to pair along with it. Reggie took to trying to solely watch the man presenting to save himself the eye damage, but he kept finding himself looking back at the slides, desperately trying to understand..

There were also the transitions. Every single item had a transition; every slide, every line of text, every image as Roman rambled on and on about each of his ideas. Sometimes, due to the winding nature of his thought process, several things would appear in quick succession, each with a different transition. Charlotte tried to follow along but found herself almost feeling motion sick from the multitude of swirling text, fading images, and rotating slides. She took several breaks to simply look around the room to ground herself as well as try to regain some sense of composure.  
  
There was still the problem of Roman’s delivery of the information he was attempting to convey. Not only was he rambling on and on and on, but he would change with absolutely no warning from speaking too fast and moving through information at such a rapid pace that nobody could keep up, to spending upwards of several minutes on a single slice of information that had very little representation on the display in front of them. Julia watched with her hands over her mouth, trying to contain her looks of pure horror and confusion, just waiting for it to mercifully end.  
  
Abruptly, Roman finished. The final slide transitioned to the black screen and then to the overview screen for the presentation program. What added a final punch to the gathered group was that there were apparently only eight total slides in the entire presentation and somehow Roman had found a way to lengthen that all out to the point where the sun had begun to set outside the window.

To everyone’s confusion, Patton had taken the resulting silence from the sudden stop to finally offer a few longer comments. “You certainly have a lot of ideas, Roman! I think a few of them would be a bit too much for him, though. And some of them… They aren’t bad ideas, but I don’t think you could convince him to go, even though he’d have fun if you did. I definitely think… You’re on the right track.. But you don’t have just the right thing quite yet. But! That’s why we’re all here, right? To help!” He finished with a smile and an encouraging nod, trying to make sure he hadn’t dashed all of Roman’s nervous enthusiasm.

Everyone else was shaking their heads as if they could literally shake the memory of what they had been unable to decipher for the entirety of the presentation. Logan definitely took a moment to remember one of the many reasons he had completely fallen for Patton, somehow he was able to adapt and comprehend that… Spectacle they had just witnessed. The understated intellect of this man was sheerly unprecedented.

Roman listened to Patton’s comments and after a moment, slowly nodded as a small smile came back to his face. “Sooo… I’m open to suggestions?” Roman moved to the side of the board, leaning against the wall and looking over all of them. The others realizing quickly that the best they could do was to try and actually assist now that that was finally over.

“Uhh… What about that new arcade that just opened up? I know he likes video games.” Charlotte offered.

“Hmm… I don’t know. He does like games, but those places are really loud. It’ll probably be especially crowded because it’s so new… People get really mad at games sometimes.. I don’t think it would be the best for him.” Julia countered, the group nodding in agreement as she brought up her point.

“We could do something like a big game instead? Like… I don’t know, Paintball?” Reggie shrugged.

“…In theory that isn’t a bad idea… But I don’t believe that something that strenuous is his type of fun. He and I didn’t do that well at the trampoline park, and Paintball seems like it would be even more stressful.” Logan shook his head.

Patton pondered a moment, his eyes coming to rest on Nutmeg. “…How about the zoo? That could be fun.” He suggested.

“I don’t think he’d be against it any regular day… I mean, a lot of these ideas are things I think he wouldn’t mind… But they aren’t really specifically for him, you know? Besides, he wears too much black to be outside in the heat like that for too long. And it’s a lot of walking for him.” Roman shook his head.

“That pretty much shoots down any other activities that are outside, or too much exercise. So, the beach, riding bikes, a hike…” Charlotte crossed her arms, still trying to think.

They just weren’t getting anywhere… this wasn’t working.

Logan thought a moment and spoke up, deciding on a new tactic to try and tackle this.“…Ok. Let’s go about this in a different way. Instead of trying to find an idea that will work and shooting it down with the details… Let’s figure out things that Virgil likes, and then build a suitable activity off of that.”

Roman moved to the projector and turned it completely off, going to the white board itself and grabbing a dry erase marker.

“Ok. Things about Virgil. Everyone sound off.” Roman announced, turning to the board and opening the room up to list suggestions.

“He likes the dark.”

“Both being in the dark and wearing dark clothes.”

“And music.”

“But he also likes being quiet.”

“Air conditioning, that’s a big one.”

“Video games.”

“Yeah, he’s definitely competitive.”

“For sure, he loves games. But like.. More strategic ones.”

“Yeah, the sneaky ones especially.”

“It make sense, he’s always hiding in weird places.”

“I don’t know how he manages it, he shouldn’t honestly be able to fit half the places he ends up.”

Roman slowly zoned out of the conversation, as he looked over the points he had written so far, taking a moment to tap the bottom end of the marker against his chin as he thought over the list he had compiled.

“….I’ve got it.” He suddenly said

The rest of the room looked over to him, wondering what he could have come up with. The shortest one of them in attendance slowly turned, a smile on his face.

“Buckle up, everybody…. We’re gonna play Lazer Tag.”


	27. Virgil's Birthday

Roman awoke as though it was any normal Thursday. He had stayed over at his boyfriend’s house the night before so he could be there in the morning and make sure everything was absolutely perfect. Of course, seeing as it was not any normal Thursday, and it was in fact Thursday January 17th AKA his boyfriend Virgil Anthony Small’s 29th birthday… He had a lot he needed to get done this morning. He slid out of bed, not wanting to wake the birthday boy but also knowing that it would take a stampede of elephants to do so regardless, and headed downstairs to start getting things ready.

Unfortunately for Roman, he was very excitable. So not only did he wake up early simply because of the anticipation, he was also accomplishing everything at a rather fast pace. It was no time at all before he had finished prepping his and Virgil’s dinner and dessert for that night (from instructions he had gotten from Patton), gotten everything out to make Virgil’s coffee, double checked his gift was perfectly wrapped and stashed in the closet, and sent texts to Logan and Julia to confirm when to meet. But it was still too early to wake his sleeping giant, especially on his birthday.

What could he do? If they were going to be running around and playing all day he didn’t want to take a shower before they left… But that also made a quick workout a bad idea… He could doodle, maybe? Or… He wasn’t really sure how he ended playing games on his phone for the better part of an hour, but the next time he checked the clock he excitedly sprung himself off the couch.

He finally was able to head to the kitchen and start the coffee, pacing impatiently as he waited. But literally as soon as he was able, he filled a mug and added Patton’s secret ingredients before giddily heading up the stairs. Placing the coffee mug on the night stand, he scampered his way back up on the bed, unable to contain his excitement and crawling right up over the sleeping man. Roman planted his knees on either side of Virgil’s long thin torso and brought his hands down to brace himself softly on his shoulders, gently jostling him.

“Viiiiiiiiiiirge…. Viiiiiiiiiirge… Waaaaake uuuuuuup…” he cooed softly, watching him.

Virgil began to stir, one of his long arms detaching itself from its place wrapped around his pillow to sleepily paw at his own face. “Mmmm?”

“Waaaake up, Veeeee. It’s a very special day todaaaaay!” Roman said, his tone only getting more excited.

“Mmmm… yeah? …What is it?” He managed, turning to lay fully on his back and look up at Roman, honestly having gotten fairly used to waking up to see him looking down at him.

“It’s your birthday! Happy Birthday, love! I have your coffee all ready to go!” He said excitedly, his smile reaching from ear to ear. “Now come, sit up, we have things to do today!”

Virgil let out a little exhale of laughter, glancing to the side and seeing the mug. “Thanks, Ro.” He slid himself to sit up, Roman leaning back and letting his weight fall back onto Virgil’s thighs once he had. Virgil reached over for his cup, drinking down a fair amount of the coffee despite it being piping hot. Roman didn’t think he’d ever get over him being able to do that. He let out a content sound at the taste before setting the mug back down and letting his hands come to rest on his small boyfriend’s waist. “So… Things to do today? Things meaning what?”

“It’s a surprise! And before you-” Virgil was already raising an eyebrow and giving him an incredulous look. “…Yes yes, I know. You don’t like surprises. But I promise, it’s gonna be good. You’re going to love it.”

Virgil let out a playful sigh, shaking his head and reaching over to down the second half of his coffee. “…Alright, I’m trusting you. But i’m definitely going to need more of this. And.. Do I need to do or wear anything specific?” He asked, still looking lightly wary.

Roman smiled wide and took the mug from him, already sliding off his lap to go run downstairs to get him more. “What you normally wear is perfect! …But maybe no leather jacket today, and if you wear your boots, don’t wear the really heavy ones.” Roman said, pausing to think a moment before nodding and then rushing downstairs with the mug.

Virgil shook his head fondly, getting out of bed and getting dressed fairly quickly, easing down the stairs and walking up behind Roman, taking the mug from the countertop and taking a big sip. Roman startled, turning to see his boyfriend had once again managed to sneak up on him with no warning at all. He took him in, verifying what he had gotten dressed in. Dark purple t-shirt, black skinny jeans, plain black hoodie, and a plain black pair of high top sneakers. Perfect. …Not that he really needed the help in being able to hide in the dark and be quiet.

Roman just went back to his own drink, finishing fixing it before turning back to him. “Alright, i’m going to go get dressed and then we can leave really soon.” He smiled, pushing up on his toes in the way that Virgil knew meant he wanted a kiss. He returned the smile and swiftly leaned down to do as he wished before Roman ran off again up the stairs.

He retuned after only a few minutes, dressed in a pair of well fitting black jeans and a black long sleeve shirt he normally wore for when he had to uphold his duties as the theater’s stage manager. His shoes were casual and black as well, and Virgil couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. “…You know, i’m starting to get really concerned about what we’re about to do if it requires you ripping off my style.”

“You’re just upset about how good I make it look.” Roman smirked, walking over and sliding up onto the counter to sip his beverage and look up at Virgil. The tall man could only respond with an eye roll and a fond shake of the head as he turned back to his drink.

It wasn’t too much longer before they headed out, Roman insisting they take his car so he could drive them and not ruin the surprise. Virgil slid into the passenger seat of the small red convertible, still not sure what Roman had planned. They sped off, Roman talking animatedly, as he generally did, until they pulled into a large and predominantly empty parking lot.

One part of the surprise was immediately given away as they arrived, seeing as literally the only vehicle on earth that was more conspicuous than Patton’s giant sky blue SUV was Reggie’s orange convertible Camaro that was parked right next to it. He would never understand why that man liked orange, but anyway. At minimum, he knew at least that his brother and best friend were involved. So it couldn’t be all that bad.

The only clue to what was going to be inside, however, were huge red letters on the side of the large building that they had parked in front of that read “Ultrazone.” Roman was watching Virgil take in where they were, seeing that he hadn’t figured it out quite yet. So he brought his attention to him by taking his hand and speaking up. “…Ready to go in?”

Virgil looked back at him, seeing just how excited Roman was. He was definitely confident in whatever he had planned, that was for sure. He couldn’t help but smile. “..Yeah. Let’s do it.” He nodded and they both climbed out of the car, walking up to the door.

Virgil pushed the door open and walked in, instantly realizing from the tv monitors showing demonstrations and all the equipment in the waiting area… Oh this was going to be good. He had never played laser tag before… But he already knew this was going to be the perfect arena for him. Before he had much more time to think on it, he was pulled from his thoughts by an extremely familiar voice sounding out only a few seconds before he was pulled into an equally familiar hug.

“Virge! Happy Birthday!” Patton said excitedly, pulling him in close. Virgil let out a soft laugh, bringing up his arms to hug his younger brother.

“Thanks, Pat.” He said, getting a chance to glance around over his shoulder at the other’s gathered there. Unsurprisingly, just behind Patton were Logan, Reggie, and Julia. As he and his brother detached and the others also wished him a happy birthday, he took a moment to curiously look over what all of them were wearing.

Seeing as he and Julia had an extremely similar style, he wasn’t surprised to see her in nearly his exact same ripped black skinny jeans, as well as a black hoodie. She had a beanie sitting atop her currently neon pink hair, that was probably a smart choice. Reggie was in a nice pair of black jeans, much like Roman’s, but ever the show off, he was only wearing a black tank top paired along with it. Patton had on a pair of his black work pants, comfortable and practical for his time in the kitchen, with a black t-shirt that Virgil hadn’t seen before. He was the supplier of all of Patton’s funny t-shirts, but this one that spelled out CHEF using elements of the periodic table with some more writing beneath just screamed Logan. All of them were wearing black sneakers, because that made sense.

Then his gaze fell upon Logan. It was obvious that Roman had put this together, telling them all to wear black so they wouldn’t stick out in the black lights of the laser tag arena. And while all of them seemed to own a practical pair of black pants and shoes… Logan was definitely wearing black slacks, and a rather nice pair of black dress shoes. Atop that was a full long sleeve black button up as well as a black tie to complete the look. …Virgil didn’t think he’d ever really understand that man.

Once they had gotten that out of the way, all eyes remained on Virgil. Logan spoke up. “So, we have been told before we get our equipment that we have to decide on two even teams. Now that you two have arrived, we can decide how to split them up.” He explained.

Virgil glanced down at Roman and Julia, knowing the two of them would definitely be sizing everyone up, but Patton spoke first. “We should let Virgil decide! It’s his birthday afterall!” Collective nods came from the group and Virgil joined the two of them in thinking over everyone in attendance.

Julia was obviously going to be good at this, her gaming skill and competitiveness were definitely going to come in handy. Roman was easily the most athletic out of all of them, this would also play to his strengths. Logan wasn’t athletic, but he was strategic and cool under pressure. And he had the added benefit of being small like the other two. That would help in a game where hiding was crucial.

Patton, his adorable younger brother. He was strong but not really fast. He loved to have fun and didn’t take things like this too seriously. You could hear him coming from a mile away with his heavy steps and the fact that he tended to consistently giggle when he was having fun.

Reggie, his best friend. He yelled and showboated when he scored points, he didn’t know the meaning of the word ‘subtlety,’ and he had no real gaming experience or knowledge… Virgil was honestly fairly sure the man didn’t have any aim to speak of.

Virgil turned to look at Roman and Julia, a competitive glint in his eye, issuing a silent challenge with his gaze that only the two of them would notice. “How about the tall three versus the short three?” He offered with a noncommittal shrug.

Julia and Roman got the message immediately. Virgil was telling them he didn’t even need a team to win this. Before they could respond, the two people least likely to catch on to any of this subtlety chimed in.

“Ooo… First round draft pick! Sorry, Tweedles. Looks like Virgil knows who the MVPs are around here!” Reggie had immediately begun to laugh, gloating specifically to Roman and Julia, absolutely no one shocked that he believed he had been picked based on his irrefutable talent.

Patton just had a huge smile on his face, pulling Virgil into yet another giant hug. “Aww, Virge! You want me on your team?! On your birthday?! This is going to be so much fun! I’m so excited!” He spoke giddily, holding his brother to him dearly.

Now that that had been decided, they went up to the desk to let them know their entire party was present and they were ready. The six of them were then led back into the room where the attendants fit them all with the necessary light vests and attached laser guns they’d be using to play. Virgil’s team had been given the blue vests, while Roman’s had the green.

They were all getting strapped in and adjusting the electronic vests, some tightened all the way while other’s loosened, as the attendant went over all the rules. He did seem to trail off a bit, trailing his eyes over the assembled players before him. He hesitated on the small Roman and Julia, eventually seeming to decide to speak specifically to Logan. “…You’re all over 18, right?” He asked him, eyes darting over to the small two and back, them both definitely pouting a bit as they realized why the question was asked.

Logan simply quirked an eyebrow, absently adjusting his glasses. “Yes, we are all over 25, in fact.”

“Alright. Then, I have to tell you no running and no climbing… But do whatever you’re going to do, and don’t be stupid, alright? Head on in, blue team to the left and green team to the right. The match will begin when the alarm sounds.” He shrugged, opening the door to the room and letting them all walk past.

They all took their positions, Virgil getting more and more ready to do this and, dare he admit… Excited to go as the music filled the maze like area, fog rolling across the floor as the lights began to dim. He was surveying the area as he prepared his strategy. Patton and Reggie were talking to each other, he knew they’d just go off and enjoy themselves. But as Virgil put his hood up, he knew he was going to have his own kind of fun.

Roman and Julia both looked to Logan as they took their positions on their side of the room. They all knew who the target was in this match. Julia nodded her head toward a tower on their side of the area, looking at Logan. He scanned the structure, judging the height and potential vantage point before silently nodding in agreement. Roman and Julia smiled to each other, Julia reaching behind her to tuck her long neon braid up into her beanie to keep it from giving away her position in the black light. As the lights went essentially completely out and an alarm sounded to begin the match, they went off on the hunt to find their target.

They all split up, finding it wasn’t difficult to avoid Patton, seeing as ‘stealthy’ was the last word anyone would use to describe the adorably giggling giant. It was pretty much silently agreed upon that no one exploit that fairly easy target, doing their best to avoid him as he made his way around the maze. Reggie was able to score the occasional point, but whenever he did manage to shoot one of the targets on either Roman or Julia, his loud showboating would lead the other around to get him right back. Once he was actually hit by Logan from up in his high perch and after spinning around to find who had gotten him, he yelled through the entire arena, obviously proud of himself. “There’s a Towers in the tower!” Giving his position away to Virgil, who no one had seen since the round began even though there had definitely been points scored off the two he was toying with to their dismay and frustration, and to Patton who had a small mischievous grin take over his face as he hurried off.

Roman was determined to find Virgil. He was going to if it was the last thing he did. He kept low, trying to stay below the line of sight of anyone looking for him. Peering around corners, looking in tight spots that no one should be able to fit in… Seeing as those were always the places that Virgil ended up being.

He was sneaking around a corner when suddenly he was grabbed by the shoulders and pulled back, finding himself swiftly pushed against a wall and large hands holding both sides of his face. “Hello, Ro.” Came a deep voice he knew all too well, unable to process a reaction before lips were pressed against his own, his eyes fluttering shut as he gave in. Everything faded away, Roman letting his form sink back against the wall. It felt like an eternity to Roman before his boyfriend pulled away, him taking a moment before opening his eyes… A moment too long.

His vest buzzed and made a small powering down sound, signaling the few seconds of pause they had to wait through whenever they had been hit by player on the opposing team. As a deep chuckle faded off into the darkness, Roman couldn’t help but stamp his foot, angry he had fallen for the oldest trick in the book. “Virgil!”

Julia had been sneaking as well, in another area, also looking for that skinny giant. But as she rounded a corner, she felt an arm snake around her waist and pull her back against a familiar form, as well as the nose of a laser gun softly pressed into her back. “Well well well, seems I have found myself a lost little kitten, haven’t I?”

“…You know, I’m pretty sure that this isn’t how the game is meant to be played, babe.” She breathed with a slight laugh, knowing that this was exactly in Reggie’s character.

“Rules are meant to be broken, Chaton.” The smirk was present in his tone as he softly spun her around to face him, smirking down at her in his hold.

Before she managed to reply, an overly dramatic voice came from behind her, pulling on her vest and out of Reggie’s grasp. “Julia! Fraternizing with the enemy!” Roman scolded.

“And you too, Regg! How could you?!” Virgil’s voice sounded from just behind Reggie, all of them shocked to hear the sudden tone as no one had noticed him come up on them. “Don’t you know you’re supposed to shoot them?”

Roman recovered first from the surprise. “Yeah! Like this!”

Roman and Virgil both took a shot, hitting and deactivating Reggie and Julia’s vests before sprinting off in opposite directions, leaving the couple there grumbling in complaint.

“…Ok, I know how _they_ found us. But how did _you_ manage to find me?!” Julia turned to Reggie with a pout, her boyfriend should not have been able to sneak up on her, he wasn’t that good at this.

“I have my secrets, love.” He smirked and leaned over to give her a kiss before softly swatting her pink braid up onto her shoulder so she could see it, the neon dye glowing in the black light.

She grumbled again as he ran off, making sure to tuck her hair into her beanie more securely this time.

Logan was watching from his spot up in his tower with bemusement, the scene below him had been rather entertaining. He was crouched in his spot, keeping tabs on everyone. Now that the four of them had disbanded from each other he only had one other to check in on. Now where was…

“Lolooooo…” Came a playful voice from behind him.

Logan spun around with surprise, seeing that somehow he had been snuck up on.. By none other than his boyfriend and he just couldn’t help but smile. “…Hello, Patton.”

“I gotcha!” He giggled giddily, getting in a quick shot on his boyfriend’s vest before he ran off, giggling all the while.

The game continued on, all of them having to admit that they were having a lot of fun. They went about it in very different ways, but that didn’t matter. They all had a great time, and when the game ended and they saw their scores, no one was that surprised to see Virgil’s team had demolished Roman’s.

Roman turned to say something to Virgil, but he stopped. He paused on the soft smile and hint of pride on his boyfriend’s face. He had done really well, the activity had suited him perfectly, and he had had a lot of fun. That was what mattered. This had been exactly what Roman wanted. Virgil turned and caught his gaze after a moment, waiting for some comment, and raising his eyebrow as he waited to hear what it was Roman was going to say.

He just smiled, a competitive glint in his eye. “…How about a rematch?”


	28. A Realization

A couple weeks later found Virgil and Roman leaving another customary game night with their brothers. It had been another fun night, them playing, laughing, joking, and of course, eating. The game nights had become another level of fun now that Patton had Nutmeg, her pawing at their legs and excitedly bounding around them if they ever had to leave the table to do something for a game.

As their brothers set out to leave, Patton instinctively grabbed his rather large puppy before saying his goodbyes, then walked out to the backyard with her to make sure she didn’t excitedly charge out the front door. Logan then walked them to the large front doors, wishing them a good night and a safe drive home as they began to leave.

“I’ll text you when we’re safe, don’t worry.” Roman chuckled as he looked back at his older brother.

“Thank you, you know Patton worries.” Logan gave him a small smirk.

“Oh of course, of course. Well, be sure to let him know that we made it out the front door so he can release that crazy bear cub of your’s.” Roman laughed, Virgil also letting out a breath of amusement.

Logan softly shook his head and looked back at him. “She just gets excited when people come to visit. She’s actually quite calm when it’s only people she sees regularly.”

A smirk softly made his way across Virgil’s face. “…I suppose you would know best, Lo. Seeing as you live here.”

Roman immediately joined in. “Fair point. Guess as long as it’s just her and her dads home, there’s no reason to get too excited.”

Logan’s cheeks darkened slightly but he only shook his head. “This is Patton’s home and you both are aware of that. I don’t live here.”

“…Sure. Alright, that’s it for us. Night, Lo.” Roman looked up at Virgil who shared his smirk and the two of them turned to leave.

Logan shut the door as they left, trying to shake the brotherly teasing from his mind. Those two just loved to tease… But why were their words sticking with him?

The next day Logan found himself where he normally did in the late afternoon, sitting at hi- the desk in his offi- in Patton’s spare room, getting some work done. Nutmeg was sitting calmly next to him, her head leaned into his lap as he absently scratched her in her favorite spot behind her ear as he worked. This continued on as long as he remained there, him getting up around the same time he always did to go assist Patton with making dinner. He knew that Patton could more than easily handle cooking on his own, of course, but he enjoyed helping him and learning from him. And he felt better knowing that his boyfriend didn’t always have to prepare their meals with no assistance.

As he stood, heading toward the kitchen with Nutmeg at his side, he could hear his boyfriend’s voice as he approached. He entered the kitchen to see Patton happily stirring a pot on the stove, his phone laying on the counter next to him showing that he was on the line with someone on speaker.

“Hey, Lolo! Say hi to Char!” Patton said happily, turning to him as he made his way next to him.  
“Greetings, Charlotte.” Logan spoke toward the phone as Patton pulled him in for a soft hug.

“Hey, lil Lo! You being good to my best friend?” Charlotte generally sounded like she was teasing.. But there was definitely always an edge of actual danger to her words.

“Oh my goodness, Char. You know he is.” Patton said playfully before turning to look down at Logan. “Oh, you don’t need to worry about helping tonight, love. I started stew this morning, i’m just checking up on it. Should be done in about an hour or so. Why don’t you go get a little reading done? Or finish up any last minute work you wanted to get done for the night.” He suggested, pressing a kiss to his forehead as Nutmeg made her way to sit next to Patton’s legs, leaning against him.

“Ah, alright Patton. Thank you.” Logan said softly, moving to grab one of his sodas from the bottom shelf of the refrigerator before making his way over to the bookcase in the living room. As he stepped onto the step stool that lived just next to his collection of books, he found he could still hear Charlotte on the speakerphone rather clearly.

“He helps you out with cooking, Pat?” Charlotte asked, sounding impressed and a bit surprised.

“Yep! He always does! He’s really helpful and he’s definitely gotten a lot better in the kitchen!” Patton cheerily responded, a soft blush flooding Logan’s cheeks.

“Everyday?” She asked.

“Yeah, he always makes sure to help me, it’s really sweet of him.” He answered, a smile still obvious in his voice.

“Huh. Well that’s really cool, Pat. I didn’t realize he had moved in.” Charlotte seemed genuine in her statement, not as teasing as Logan remembered their brothers being last night about the same topic.

As Patton began to try and explain that Logan didn’t in fact live there, and as he received a rather incredulous response from his best friend, Logan had already placed the book he had selected back in its spot on the shelf and made his way back toward the computer in the office.

Charlotte wasn’t like Virgil and Roman… Sure, she was Patton’s best friend, but she was still more of an outside source. And she certainly wasn’t simply teasing as had been the case last night. So hearing that from her as well… Maybe this was worth looking more into.

Patton stayed on the phone a bit longer before saying goodbye to his friend and hanging up the phone. He wasn’t sure why what she had said so casually had stuck with him… It wasn’t like they really lived together… Did they? He set a timer to let him know when dinner would be ready and moved to the fridge, opening it and glancing down. …He never used to have anything on the bottom shelves.

Logan sat down at the computer and began first by going to the website for his bank and pulling up his bank statement. He had his bills on autopay, so he didn’t worry much about them. But the first thing he noticed when he checked the account was that he had far more money than he normally did once his bills had been paid. …Huh.

Patton closed the fridge and moved to the pantry, seeing his boyfriend’s small apron hanging up next to his larger ones. He loved that his boyfriend had taken up helping him in the kitchen… Everyday… Usually for both breakfast and dinner.

Logan investigated his electricity bill first, finding he had barely been charged at all for power in his apartment. Which made sense… He was basically never there anymore.. Why would the power be on?

Patton walked out of the kitchen and into the living room. His eyes paused on the bookshelf, looking over all of the books that sat there… Some of them were his books, ones that Logan had recommended to him and that he had read and enjoyed. It had surprised him, the bookshelf had only been home to cookbooks previously. But most of them were books he never would have purchased himself and would, honestly, probably never read. They had actually gotten a second bookshelf not too long ago, for all of their.. All of Logan’s boardgames.

Logan’s water bill had also gone down drastically, which after the electricity really was of no surprise. Had he really not been back to his own apartment in that long?

Patton glanced downwards and noticed that near his feet, besides the adorable Newfoundland that was moving about the house with him, sat a step stool. He had never owned a step stool before. But now that he was thinking about it… There was one in his kitchen pantry, one below the sink in the master bathroom, one at the foot of the bed, this one near the bookcase, and another one in the garage.

Logan was reviewing his entire statement, seeing what it was that he, in fact, been spending money on. There was a large purchase from a department store.. What had that been? Ah. Yes. He had had to get new clothes recently… Patton had been making sure he didn’t miss meals anymore, he did used to have a tendency to overwork and skip them unintentionally, and even before when he did remember to eat it wasn’t like he was eating such delicious home cooked meals. So, he had gone up a pant size and had had to replace most of his clothing. …He had been too skinny before anyway.

Patton glanced into what used to be his spare room as he made his way toward the stairs, smiling fondly at his boyfriend’s profile as he was obviously concentrating hard on whatever it was that he was looking at on the computer. …That room used to be empty. The guest bedroom was upstairs, and this first floor space had never had a purpose before. But now it had a computer and a desk.. A white board… It was Logan’s office.

Logan moved over to a spread sheet he kept saved in a folder on his desktop. It was his monthly budget that he had worked out for himself months and months ago. As he compared it to his bank statement, he realized he had not been spending the amount he allotted to himself for groceries. …He honestly couldn’t recall the last time he had gone grocery shopping for his apartment.

Patton moved into thei- his bedroom. His eyes glazed over the footstool near the bed before he glanced into the closets. He had always had two, it was just how his bedroom had been designed. But the second one he had never really had a purpose for. Now it contained a dresser, pushed back against the wall. There were a few things hanging from the specially raised bar that ran across it… But those were only Logan’s fanciest things. Everything else he folded and kept in the dresser since Patton normally had to pull down the hanging things for him if he needed them.

Logan finally looked away from the computer, his hand coming to his chin to think over all he had just reviewed and to see what else he could figure out without the numbers literally right in front of him. …He hadn’t been overworking himself like he used to. He had actually found that the quality of his work had gone up. Once he had decided to commit to making sure Patton didn’t have to cook alone, he had developed a routine of making sure he finished working by a certain time so he could go assist him. It hadn’t taken many instances of Patton having to come pull him away from his work to have dinner for him to begin stopping on his own to prevent that. He actually looked forward to finishing up his work for the night… He looked forward to cooking and eating, which in the past were simply things he had considered to be ‘necessary evils.’

Patton took a moment to sit down on the edge of the bed, looking around the bedroom and bathroom. Logan’s slippers next to his, Logan’s glasses case next to his, Logan’s toothbrush next to his… Two well-loved childhood teddy bears sitting next to each other on a shelf.

Maybe they really did live together.

The timer went off, signaling dinner was ready. They each made their way to the kitchen, Patton turning off the timer and checking the stew while Logan retrieved both of their drinks. He served the meal into bowls, taking them to the table with silverware. His boyfriend followed behind him, setting down their respective drinks at their usual seats.

Dinner began rather quietly, Logan still mulling over his thoughts and Patton letting his eyes slowly trail over him. He knew this look on his boyfriend’s face. The smaller man was definitely thinking on something.. More than thinking, it was far beyond overthinking at this point.

Patton softly spoke up, pulling Logan from his thoughts. “…Lo? Are you alright?”

Logan’s eyes snapped back into focus, turning to look at Patton. “…Yes. I am. Why do you ask?”

“Lolo, I know that face. You’re stuck on something. Do you want to talk about it? You know you can talk to me about anything.” Patton said, smiling softly as his eyes searched Logan’s expression.

“…I have been realizing.. Well. That isn’t entirely correct. To be more accurate… It has been brought to my attention… That I seemed to have moved into your home without discussing it with you. I.. Want to apologize, as that wasn’t my intention.” Logan said, looking up into his boyfriend’s eyes with concern.

Patton seemed surprised, taking a moment to respond as he considered what he had said. “…I see. But when you say… What exactly wasn’t your intention?” He asked, his voice thoughtful.

Logan searched his boyfriend’s face for a moment, unable to read his expression. “…It wasn’t my intention to simply… Intrude on your space uninvited. We had never discussed such a change. But I have been running the numbers as far as expenses go… I can’t deny that I definitely spend far more time in your home than I do in the apartment I rent.”

Patton couldn’t help but crack a smile at how differently his and his boyfriend’s minds worked. Logan had been looking at this monetarily.. Logistically. “…Well, I suppose you make a fair point. You do spend more time here than there… But I wouldn’t at all call it intruding. Not in the slightest.”

“…It still stands that we never discussed this. And my things have still made their way here gradually. So many of them, in fact, that I never need to return to the apartment for anything.” Logan said, still not entirely sure how Patton was feeling about this development.

“Alright, then… Let’s have a discussion. Are you upset that your things are here?” Patton asked, raising an eyebrow.

“No, not at all.” Logan answered, not entirely sure where he was leading the conversation.

“Would you prefer spending more time in your apartment rather than here?” He asked before Logan could add anymore.

“…No. That’s not what i’m trying to say. It’s just that…” Logan shook his head, concerned he had been giving off the wrong impression. But before he could explain himself, Patton stood from the table and walked into the kitchen.

For the 20 seconds that his boyfriend had disappeared from his view without warning, Logan truly wondered if this was what anxiety felt like. And he was not enjoying it.

Patton returned and sat down at the table, cutting off Logan’s immediate attempt to resume talking by holding out his hand toward him, palm up and fingers closed.

“One more question then, love.” Patton said, his warm smile returning to his face full force.

“Alright. What is the last question?” Logan asked, glancing down at Patton’s hand.

Patton uncurled his fingers, showing that within his outstretched hand he had a silver door key. “…Would you like to move in with me?”


	29. The Play

Now that Patton and Logan had had their little revelation and decided to make things official, Logan went through the process of deciding what he wanted to keep from his old place and move into Patton’s house. He also had to work everything out with his landlord and the companies he paid his bills through that he would no longer be living at his previous residence, which thankfully went over as well as it could have. 

He didn’t have too many things that he needed to move over to Patton’s… To their house, as most of what he needed on a regular basis was already there. So with his boyfriend’s help, he sorted his possessions into keep and donate piles, them loading up the keep items into the back of Patton’s large blue SUV. They had only momentarily struggled with how they were going to get the donate items out of there, when Logan remembered Virgil drove a large pickup truck. 

A quick call later and it wasn’t long before they heard the large vehicle turning onto the street, Virgil backing the truck up into the driveway to make it easier to load up. They were both a little surprised when Virgil slid out of the driver’s seat and walked up to them, seeing he was alone. 

“Hey Virge! Where’s Ro?” Patton asked, coming up to give his brother a hug. 

Virgil returned the greeting hug before pulling back to look up at him. “Oh he’s at rehearsal today. He’s normally the stage manager, but every so often he gets the chance to actually act, and one of those times came around again.” He explained. 

“Ah, yes. He hasn’t done one in quite a while, if memory serves. He very much enjoys acting, not just managing.” Logan nodded. 

Patton bounced on his toes slightly. “Aw! We have to go see his play! I want to go!” 

Virgil and Logan both smiled. “I’m sure he’ll be more than happy if we all go and support him, Pat. I’ll let him know you want to be there.”

“I’ll be there as well, he always saves seats for our parents and I when he is actually in the show.” Logan nodded. 

“Great, I’ll talk to him about it. But for now… Let’s move all this stuff into the truck, I have a feeling it’s going to take a few trips to get it all out.” Virgil offered, letting the two of them lead him inside so he and Patton could start moving the large items. 

Luckily for Virgil, Patton pretty much had them covered on strength, he was really there more for stability than anything else. It took a good portion of the day, but by the time the sun had set, the three of them had emptied out the apartment and were ready to head out with the last loads. Patton was a bit sentimental about the place he and his boyfriend had met, getting Virgil to take a picture of them so he could hold onto it, but they all made their way back to the cars shortly after that. 

“Thanks so much for everything, Virgie! Can I make you some dinner as a thank you?” Patton asked, looking happily back at his older brother. 

“Oh, I still have to get this last load to the drop off place… And Ro will be home in not too long.” He kind of mulled it over. 

“How about you go drop off that last load and then swing by, I’ll have some food packed up for the two of you to take home.” Patton’s wide smile caused his eyes to crinkle at the edges, his happiness just too infectious.

“…Alright, Pat. If you insist, thank you.” Virgil couldn’t help but smile, letting his brother give him another huge hug before sliding into his truck and heading out. 

Logan and Patton went home, to their house, and Patton quickly got some dinner going after bringing in a huge armload of things from the car. Logan got started on putting his things away, finding most of the items he had saved were more sentimental or they were predominantly important documents. The types of things he wasn’t going to get rid of, but definitely not ones he needed in his day to day. He was sorting them all out, smiling over a few items as he decided where they’d go, when the familiar smell of something delicious filled the air. 

He realized that he had already been living there, apparently, but something about it being official.. Something about knowing that that ‘made with love’ smell was coming from his own home… It was different. It was everything. 

Virgil arrived after a while, Patton just packing up the two dinners lovingly into containers, as well as adding another with dessert for once they’d finished. He couldn’t help but smile, this was just such a Patton thing to do. He took the food and headed out, making his way back to Roman’s apartment and getting into his comfortable clothes for the night. Just as he was getting Patton’s food onto plates and giving them a quick heat up in the oven, as per instructions, he heard the key in the lock and turned to the door. 

Roman burst in with a flourish, as he was wont to do, immediately locating Virgil and rushing to him to wrap his arms around his waist. The taller man didn’t have it in him to be surprised, he was fairly accustomed to this greeting at this point, simply bringing his arms up to wrap around his boyfriend and looking down at him.

“Welcome home, Ro. How was rehearsal?” He asked, smiling now that he had returned home.

“It was splendid! Everything is going swimmingly!” Roman exclaimed, giving his boyfriend a squeeze. He opened his mouth to say more when he caught a whiff of the food and stopped, looking confused. 

Virgil laughed a bit, turning in Roman’s hold to grab the plates. “Pat and Lo needed to use my truck to move some stuff, so Pat sent me home with dinner for the two of us as a thank you. Come on, tell me all about it while we eat.” He explained, Roman nodding excitedly at the prospect of a Patton-made dinner, and letting go to grab them both something to drink before following him to the table. 

What followed was a long, excited recounting of Roman’s day, him telling him everything about what they’d gone over and rehearsed. He was still pretty accustomed to being the manager, so he may have had a hand in a few more areas of the production than he technically should have as just an actor… But he loved every part of theater and Virgil adored his passion. 

He did manage to slip in once or twice, asking questions here and there, encouraging his boyfriend to continue on. Toward the end he mentioned that Patton also wanted to come see his show, Roman assuring him that he’d have five seats reserved, beyond excited that his boyfriend and his new best friend were going to see him act for the first time. 

That fact did give Roman a small case of nerves, which was fairly uncommon for him. He was used to the adrenaline and the excitement, but he rarely experienced nervousness when it came to performing. It was due to this small bout of uncharacteristic anxiousness that the time between then and opening night seemed both unbearably slow and insanely fast. 

Despite that little time paradox, the day did come around and Roman found himself backstage in his costume, waiting for the show to start. It was just like any other show, why was he so nervous about this one? Sure, the Smalls would be seeing him perform fo the first time but that wasn’t… Well, maybe that was it. He just wanted them to like it so badly. 

It wasn’t long from there until it was time for it to start, and Roman being a lead was going to be one of the first few on stage. Once the curtain raised and he walked on, all his nervousness vanished, him strutting out in character and beginning to do one of the things he did best. He owned that stage, all eyes on him, moving as though he was truly the character he was only acting as and like this was the most natural thing in the world for him to do. 

It wasn’t until just before he would be exiting the stage that he had a moment where he could let his eyes sweep over the audience without drawing attention. Roman stood in his spot, letting his eyes wander while everyone should be looking at a couple other actors doing their back and forth. He easily found the front row and spotted his parents, both of them looking completely enthralled. Next to them he expected to see Logan, Patton, and Virgil. But instead… There were three empty seats. 

Something inside him seemed to freeze, seeing those front row seats void of the people who he wanted there supporting him. Where on Earth could they be? Why… He was sure something hadn’t happened to them, his parents wouldn’t just be sitting there watching the show if something had happened. So why… 

His eyes snapped back to the stage, his brain reminding him what he was doing at the moment. It wasn’t a second too soon, it was only a few more lines of dialogue before his cue to begin speaking again. Without missing a beat, he did everything he needed to and made his rehearsed flourish off the stage. 

Once he was no longer visible to the audience, Roman’s expression was finally able to fall. He.. He didn’t like this feeling. He.. He knew he would have given this performance all he had regardless… But he had wanted to do especially well.. He wanted to share what he loved to do with the new people he cared about so much. ….But what could he do now?

The rest of the play he kept sneaking glances down to the front row, seeing if maybe they’d sneak in part way through and just play it off like they’d been there. He wasn’t sure what would be worse. But it didn’t matter, the show ended and the curtain closed, and no one had ever taken those seats. 

Roman took a little longer to get dressed and cleaned up than it might have normally taken him, not exactly excited to go out and see his parents and no one else.. But he had to. He packed up his things, got his bag together and made his way to the foyer to find his parents. Normally they were a bit hard to find in a crowd, but as he stepped out he immediately found them.. Seeing as they were standing with the Smalls. 

Virgil was wearing his nice button up and actual slacks, Patton in a polo and his cardigan wearing an full-on tie. Logan was with them, also dressed nicely but that wasn’t out of the norm for his serious brother. His boyfriend was also holding a huge bouquet of roses, and Patton was absolutely beaming. 

It was that tall man who spotted him first. “Roman! That was amazing!” He exclaimed, clasping his hands together. 

Roman looked back at him quizzically, still walking up to the group. As he got closer, Virgil softly held the flowers toward him. 

“Yeah.. Spectacular, Ro. You were perfect.” His emo boyfriend added in softly.

Roman was looking back and forth between them, not sure what he thought. Finally softly asking, “…Did you see it?” 

The Smalls both looked taken aback, looking down at Roman. “Of course we did, Ro.” Virgil said, confused. 

“We wouldn’t have missed it for anything.” Patton added.

“…You weren’t there. I could see into the audience from the stage. Your.. The seats I held for you.. For all three of you. They were empty.” Roman shot a glance to Logan before looking back up at them.

Virgil and Patton glanced at each other and then back to Roman. “…Ro. You saved us seats in the front row.” Virgil said, a small bemused smile taking over his mouth. 

Roman wasn’t amused, unsure what he was getting at. “Of course I did. I wanted you to have the best seats in the house. And you weren’t there.” 

“Roman… Have you heard the phrase… ‘Down in front?’ Because.. We have.” Patton asked, seeming a bit sheepish. 

The short man was looking up at them both, not exactly sure how to respond. 

Logan finally cut in. “Roman, we all arrived on time. But after we sat down in our seats, the people seated behind Patton and Virgil were rather… Vexed. So the three of us stood in the back to avoid any further problems.” 

“….Oh.” Roman finally managed, looking embarrassed. Definitely feeling a bit upset with himself that he had thought that these two, of all people, would actual skip out on his play and then have the audacity to lie to him about it. That wasn’t like either of them.. He should have known better. He started to work on some kind of apology on his head, but his boyfriend cut him off.

Virgil had just stepped forward, leaning down and wrapping his arms around him in a big hug. “I’m sorry, Ro. I should have texted you so you wouldn’t worry. It’s all good, you didn’t do anything wrong. You were completely amazing up there.” He said softly, pressing a kiss to his head before pulling away and holding out the flowers to him again. 

This time Roman took them happily, his expression splitting into a huge beaming smile. “…Thank you, love.” It was at that point that Roman finally looked over to his parents. 

Eloisa and Louis were both giving him softly admonishing looks, silently responding to his misplaced concern. Roman just responded with a sheepishly apologetic smile before moving forward to hug them both. No words were needed, it all said just with their eyes and their arms.

Once he pulled away, Louis piped up. “Alright boys, let’s go. We’re going out to dinner to celebrate Ro! My treat!”

Logan definitely noticed that Patton seemed prepared to protest but Logan just took his hand and gave him a little smile, stopping him in his tracks. 

Roman sidled up to Virgil, wrapping an arm around his waist and sighing contently as he pressed himself against his boyfriend’s side. Virgil held him close, them happily walking out with the rest of the group to go get their dinner.


	30. Valentine's Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil and Logan take things into their own hands when their boyfriend's plan to keep things lowkey.

It had been the last game night before their first Valentine’s Day together, both couples cleaning up Patton and Logan’s dining table. Logan and Virgil had taken the plates and glasses to the kitchen, leaving the other two to finish putting the games away. Once the calmer two had left the room, Roman looked up at the tall man beside him. 

“Hey, Patton?” 

Patton looked back at the smaller man, smiling warmly down at him. “Yeah, Ro?” 

“…I was kinda wondering what you were thinking about doing for Valentine’s Day?” He explained, looking uncharacteristically unsure. 

Patton tilted his head to the side. “…You mean, with Logan?” 

“Yeah. Just.. I was thinking about it and.. I mean, I know I would probably go really overboard with it all.. But that isn’t really Virgil’s thing, you know? I don’t want to make him do a bunch of the over the top stuff when that’s not really him.” Roman clarified. 

“Oh, oh. I see. …That’s a good point. I think I’ll probably do something like that too. I don’t want to make Logan uncomfortable by doing anything crazy..” Patton considered his words, trailing off. 

In the kitchen, Virgil and Logan were listening in. It wasn’t difficult to do as neither of the other two knew the definition of the word ‘whisper.’ They turned to each other and shared a look that easily conveyed to the other that they were thinking the same thing. It looks like Valentine’s Day was going to be in their hands. 

—

The following weekend was Valentine’s Day, Roman waking up fairly early and instinctively rolling over to toss his weight onto his skinny boyfriend, as was per usual. But Virgil wasn’t there. Roman slowly sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and looking around his boyfriend’s room. As his eyes adjusted he realized that the room was absolutely full of red and pink balloons. 

Roman wasn’t really sure what to make of it. On the one hand… Wasn’t the point of him not planning much for the day to avoid overwhelming Virgil with all these grand gestures? On the other hand… Look at the balloons! This is so adorable and sweet and… He needed to go find his boyfriend right now! 

Roman smiled wide, jumping out of bed and throwing on his house robe and slippers, the ones he kept at Virgil’s, before opening the bedroom door. The first thing he noticed was a vase full of gorgeous red roses sitting on the banister just outside the door. He couldn’t help but smile even wider at the sight, he was an absolute sucker for a classic gesture like roses. Roman grabbed the vase and took a deep whiff, the delicate smell of the beautiful flowers filling his nose. He pulled away from them, another smell overtaking it quickly. Breakfast? 

—

Patton awoke slowly, his eyes fluttering open as he let out a soft yawn. He blinked a few times before reaching for his glasses and then turning to look over at his boyfriend. But Logan wasn’t there. Patton immediately sat up, Logan never woke up before him. That was weird. The tall man swung his legs over the edge of the raised bed, resting his feet comfortably on the floor. Before he stood to go look for Logan, he noticed something on his nightstand. 

Sitting there on a plate was a gorgeous croissant, sliced in half and stuffed with what looked like pastry cream and strawberries, the whole thing drizzled in thin lines of chocolate. And next to that was a note, folded in half with his name written on the outside. Patton picked it up and unfolded it, reading what was written there in familiar handwriting. 

_“Good morning to you, my Valentine’s Date_   
_I’m sorry that I’m not here to greet you_   
_But hopefully this will compensate_   
_I’ve set up something fun to do_

_So please get dressed and go downstairs_  
 _Your next clue is with one you hold quite dear_  
 _For this is a quest that you shall share_  
 _Upon this, the 14th day of the 2nd month of the year_ ”

Patton was smiling from ear to ear by the end of the note, this was somehow both very much and not at all like Logan. He decided to take a moment before getting up and getting dressed as instructed, sitting in bed and eating his delicious provided breakfast. Once he had finished thoroughly enjoying that, he moved to his closet and got ready, heading down the stairs to see who the note was referring to. 

As the tall man began down the stairs, he immediately saw Nutmeg waiting for him, her leash already clipped to her collar with the majority of it held in her mouth as she waited for her dad to take it from her. Patton let out a little laugh, kneeling down to give her some deserved love before noticing a note hanging from the end. He took the leash into his hand and removed the note, opening it up to read. 

 _“Clue number two, just a few more to find_  
Keep each one safe, you’ll need them, it’s true  
I hope you see humor and not find this unkind   
But the next clue is in the shop of the ‘water zoo’” 

Patton let out a laugh as a light blush formed on his cheeks, remembering the time he had completely forgotten the word ‘aquarium’ and had to get creative to explain what he wanted to say. With a fond shake of his head, he put the two notes together, carefully putting them back in his pocket before moving to slide his shoes on and heading for the door. 

—

_*Knock Knock*_

A few moments passed before the door swung open, the people on either side of the threshold looking at one another. 

“Lupacchiotto?” 

“Hello, Mom. I’d like to request some assistance.” 

— 

Roman’s feet pounded rapidly down the stairs, him setting down the vase as he passed by the table on his way to the kitchen. As he rounded the corner he found a rare sight, his boyfriend at the stove. The smaller man couldn’t help but rush forward, wrapping his arms around Virgil’s waist and pulling him in close. 

Luckily, as Roman had never been quiet once in his entire life, Virgil had heard him coming and had already put his spatula down and stepped away from the heat source somewhat. He turned to look down at him, putting his arms around him. 

“Good morning, Ro.” Virgil said, smiling shyly. 

“Virge! The balloons! And the flowers!” Roman bounced slightly on his toes, giddy. 

“…I hoped you’d like them.” He responded, still looking a bit unsure. 

“Like them?! Babe. My dark and stormy knight. My Pumpkin King. My valiant vigilant Virgil. I adore them!” He gave his tall boyfriend a tighter squeeze. 

Virgil blushed, the red tint very noticeable on his pale cheeks. “…I’m glad. I.. I’m almost done with breakfast. It’ll be done in just a few.” He said softly. 

“Ok, my love! I’ll be right back, I just need to do something!” Roman pushed up on his toes, Virgil having to bend down to meet him half way and give him a kiss, before rushing off. He may have noticed a piece of paper with a recipe and instructions written on it in distinctively Patton-esque handwriting near the stove, but he wasn’t going to address it. 

—

Patton and Nutmeg walked along, the aquarium that he and Logan had gone to together wasn’t too far from the house. It was a lovely day outside, Patton seeing couples and families out enjoying the holiday. It brought a smile to his face, like most things did, honestly. The two continued along, waving and smiling at anyone who paused to mentally justify seeing a giant walking a bear down the sidewalk. 

It didn’t take too long before they arrived at the aquarium, luckily the gift shop was accessible from the outside and Patton could peak his head in while keeping Nutmeg outside the shop, unsure if dogs were allowed in. He recognized the woman who oversaw his and Logan’s petting adventure with the ‘sea ravioli’ and immediately called out to her. 

“Oh! Hello there! It’s nice to see you again!” He said, his voice cheery.

She looked up, finding the tall man. “Oh! It’s been a while! Hello again!” She smiled, placing the very memorable man fairly quickly. 

“It has!” Patton was smiling wide as she headed back to the register. “…Do you have a note for me, by chance?” He asked, tilting his head. 

“I believe I do. Patton, right?” She looked down at the desk, finding a small note. 

“That’s me!” He nodded, watching her come around the desk and hand it to him.

“Here you go!”

“Thank you! Happy Valentine’s Day!” 

He took a few steps from the shop before opening his next clue. 

_“This is the place where Ravioli was bought_   
_But he is not the only plush sitting on our bed’s end_   
_The other, a bear, his tie a Windsor knot_   
_Go to the place of his origin, then turn around and look for a friend”_

Patton immediately pictured Ravioli, the manta ray, sitting next to LoBear, the bear Logan had made him of himself, on their bed. The mall was just a few blocks from the aquarium, him turning and making his way that way. 

—

Logan and Eloisa were in the kitchen, him paying astute attention to her instructions on how to make her famous fresh pasta. She was having him do the majority of the work, watching him closely. 

Louis walked in after a short while, surprised to see his eldest son cooking in his kitchen while his wife watched him. 

“Well hello there, Lo! Whatcha making?” He asked, moving over to join the two of them. 

“Mom is instructing me on how to make lasagna.” Logan explained, plainly. 

“…Aren’t you dating the world’s tallest chef?” Louis asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“I do not believe he holds an official record.” 

“Well either way… We can at least agree that he sees food from an entirely different angle than most.” His dad joked, giving him a look that showed he was more than proud of himself. 

Logan let out a long suffering sigh, ignoring his father in favor of kneading the pasta dough. 

“It is for Orsacchiottone. Lupacchiotto is making him dinner.” Eloisa explained, looking up at her husband. 

“Aww! Lo! That is so sweet!” Louis smiled, giving his son a soft clap on the shoulder. 

Logan blushed, looking down at his hands and going back to pointedly ignoring him.

—

Roman rushed back into the dining room and sat down, placing the gift bag he had retrieved on the chair next to him. He didn’t have to wait long before Virgil walked in with two plates, placing one in front of him. Roman looked down to see what his boyfriend had made, seeing a short stack of red pancakes shaped like hearts, with bacon and eggs on the side. He swore his own actual heart did a little flutter at the sight, looking up at Virgil as he sat in the chair next to him. 

“Virge! These are adorable!” Roman was still smiling from ear to ear. 

“..Thank you. I… Patton gave me the mold so I could.. They’re red velvet.” Virgil explained, still obviously blushing. 

“Oh you are just the cutest thing, you know that?” Roman gushed, leaning forward onto his hands to look over him, only making the emo turn a darker shade of red. 

He laid off the compliments until they ate their delicious breakfast, Roman savoring the flavor of the food Virgil had obviously worked so hard to make. Once they’d finished, he popped up to take the dishes to the sink before the taller man had the chance, rushing back and moving the gift off the chair and putting it on the table in front of him. 

“…What’s all this?” Virgil seemed surprised, looking at the gift bag. 

“It’s your present! Open it open it open it!” Roman bounced in his seat, watching as his boyfriend reached inside. 

First he pulled out a matching pair of mugs, at first assuming that there would be one for each of them. But upon closer inspection it became clear that one read “Paint Water” and the other “Not Paint Water.” He let out a short laugh, knowing that he’d made that mistake more than once. Second was a 3D doodling pen, something he’d seen online and just never tried. Last was a very detailed and intricate coloring book, all the pictures inspired by Edgar Allen Poe or other macabre imagery, which was accompanied by a very nice set of colored pencils. 

“…This is all really cool, Ro. Thank you.” Virgil smiled, looking back over at his boyfriend.

“Of course, love. Happy Valentine’s Day.” 

—

It was a short walk over to the shops, Patton happily making his way through the open air mall with Nutmeg. He stopped in front of the Build-a-Bear, smiling over the bright colors and the happy people inside before turning around to do as the clue instructed. He just had to look for a friend… There was Uncommon Grounds! Reggie’s coffee shop! Patton strolled over and pushed the door open, making sure to keep Nutmeg close as they went in. 

“Reggie!” Patton called, seeing his brother’s best friend standing at the counter and leaning over it.

“Hey there, Sequoia.” Reggie smirked, nodding in greeting. 

“How are you doing today?” Patton asked, walking up to the counter. 

“Pretty good.. Working instead of doing something fun. You know, the usual.” He complained vaguely, waving a hand. 

“Aw! I’m sorry! I hope you aren’t here because of me!” Patton frowned, looking back at him with concern. 

“Nah, Julia has work today. So it’s all good.” Reggie shrugged. 

“Aw, ok. I’m sure you two will get to do something fun later!” Patton smiled.

“…Right. Anywaaaay… Looking for this?” He pulled a folded piece of paper out from his pocket and held it out to him between two fingers.

“Yes! Thank you!” He eagerly took the note, turning to head back toward the door. 

“Hey hold up, stretch. I’m supposed to ke- Ow! What the hell?!” Reggie called, Patton turning around to see him rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Shut it.” Julia suddenly appeared from the backroom, wearing her work clothes and tossing a couple coffee beans around in one of her hands. 

Reggie rolled his eyes, giving her a quick kiss as she walked past. 

Patton wasn’t quite sure what to make of what just happened, and just turned to Julia. “Hello, Julia!” 

“Hi Pat! I was just visiting on my lunch break, but I’ve got to head back to work. I’ll see you around.” She smiled, waving as she headed out of the shop.

Reggie was still rubbing the back of his neck, looking back at Patton. 

“…What was it you were going to say?” Patton asked. 

“…..Just that, before you go… I have this new coffee you should check out. I think Logan would really like it.” 

—

Logan hurried home, a covered bowl with the pasta dough in the front seat of his car. He just hoped he had enough time to make the sauce, get dinner in the oven, and finish dessert before Patton got home.

— 

Roman and Virgil decided to watch a few movies together, giving Virgil a chance to play with the 3D doodle pen Roman had given him. Once he’d done a few cool things with it, he went for the coloring book, leaning into Roman as he relaxed and mindlessly colored in it while the movie played in the background. 

—

Patton ended up spending a fair amount of time in the shop with Reggie, the two talking and Reggie showing him some new coffees he’d stocked since the last time he’d been in. He left some time later, carrying a shopping bag that held a few bags of coffee for him to take home to Logan. 

Once he was back outside, he finally opened the clue. 

_“You found a friend, that’s a great place to start_   
_But friends come in all sizes, all good for chitchat_   
_So go find another, who stands closer to your heart_   
_Literally closer, for she is small like a cat”_

With a giggle, Patton took off to the far side of the mall, walking Nutmeg right into the pet supply store. He wandered around a bit, vaguely remembering that he should probably pick up dog food while he was there, until he found who he was looking for. 

“Char!” He called, seeing the small blonde from behind. 

She spun around, smiling wide at the sight of her friend. “Pat!” 

The two friends walked up to each other, sharing a hug in greeting. 

“It’s so great to see you!” Patton smiled warmly, looking down at her.

“Yeah! It’s been too long! How have you been?” Charlotte asked, leaning against a shelf to talk to him. 

The friends caught up for a while, Charlotte also taking the opportunity to help Patton pick out a few things for Nutmeg while he was there. Another good chunk of time had passed before Patton was checking out and heading back toward the front of the store with her. 

“Oh! Char, do you have something for me?” He asked, turning back to her. 

“Oh yeah!” She reached into her work apron and pulled out a note, handing it over. “Have fun on your gay scavenger hunt.” She laughed.

Patton giggled, taking the note and waving. “I will!” 

He quickly opened the note as soon as he was outside. 

_“From here it is time to get some fresh air_   
_Head back towards home, but stop at a landmark_   
_A place full of yips, barks, fur, and hair_   
_If you’re unsure, let her lead you right to her park”_

Patton looked down at Nutmeg, giving her a soft tug to lead her in the right direction. “Come on, Meggie. Let’s go to the park.” 

—

Virgil had one more surprise in store for Roman, warning him after a few movies had finished that they would be going out for dinner that night. So if he wanted to spend time getting ready… Roman was already up, rushing up the stairs to see what clothes he had here at Virgil’s place. 

Virgil laughed softly, watching him rush off before going back to his coloring book. 

—

Patton arrived to the dog park not far from home, finding it strangely empty, but he supposed it made sense since the sun was starting to set. He didn’t know exactly where he was supposed to look, so he just let Nutmeg lead him in, watching as she went to sniff the one lamppost she always did when they went there. Patton was glancing around a bit, looking for something… There on the lamppost, specifically right around his eye level, was his note. Another grin formed on his face, reaching to grab it. 

 _“You are just about there, so close to done_  
_But before you leave here, ‘won’t you be a peach?’_  
 _Does that sound just like a certain someone?_  
 _So, just like before, there is something only you can reach”_

A memory came back to Patton immediately. One day, all three of them in the park playing with Nutmeg. A little old lady coming up to them to ask if Patton would ‘be a peach’ and please try to get a frisbee that her grandson had accidentally gotten stuck in a nearby tree. Seeing as he was the only one with the necessary height, and the fact that he was, at his core, a Good Samaritan, he immediately did so. 

He led Nutmeg over to the tree, looking up to see a piece of paper stuck up high on a branch. With his impressive arms, he was easily able to pull it down and open it up.

 _“You found the final clue, I hope you had fun_  
_Look on the back of the clues, down along the border_  
 _This is to help you find that which you’ve won_  
 _So line up the clues, be sure to do so in order”_

_—_

Roman and Virgil left the house together, both dressed nicely for their Valentine’s dinner date. They went off in Virgil’s truck, him driving to the surprise location. It wasn’t until they parked and Virgil took Roman’s hand to lead him to the restaurant did he realize that it was the same place that Patton worked. …The same one where they’d had their first date. Roman gave his boyfriend’s hand a squeeze, smiling wide as they walked inside. Also remembering this time not to get upset when the reservation was under ‘Small.’ 

— 

Patton pulled all the clues out of his pocket, flipping them over to see that along the bottom of each one was a single letter. Keeping them in order, he saw the word that the letters spelled out. Nutmeg. 

He cocked his head to the side, kneeling down to look at his dog. She sat down, looking happily back at him. The answer was Nutmeg? How was… Patton’s eyes moved down to her collar. In one spot that he never would have seen while standing, just below her chin, there was a spot that had some tape wrapped around it. He took a finger and ran it along the inside, finding another note. 

Patton gently removed it, standing up and unwrapping it. Within the piece of paper was the key to their mailbox and one final note. 

_“You found the key, you are truly the winner  
So please check the box, and then join me for dinner”_

He was a bit confused why he was being asked to check the mail after all of that… But off he went. Walking toward home. 

—

Roman and Virgil were enjoying their dinner, sitting together in the nice restaurant and talking. Roman couldn’t help but finally bring up something that had been on his mind. 

“…Thank you. For all of this. This has been one of my favorite days I’ve ever had.” Roman said, looking back at him adoringly. 

Virgil was back to blushing. “…I’m glad. I.. I know this is one of your favorite holidays. I wanted to try my best.” 

“I know, I was just worried that if I did everything I might have wanted to do, you wouldn’t like it. I didn’t want to go overboard and make you uncomfortable.” 

“…But if we did none of the things you wanted, this day wouldn’t be about us. It would be about me.” Virgil explained, looking back at him. 

Roman paused a moment, thinking over those words. “…You’re right. But you made sure it was about both of us. We had some bigger things, and we still had chill time. It was.. Perfect.” 

Virgil smiled, Roman loving when he saw his boyfriend’s face light up so earnestly. “Just one more thing after this, love.” 

“Oh?” Roman was surprised. 

Virgil glanced behind Roman for a moment, noticing something, before he flicked his gaze back to Roman. “Not yet. We have dessert first.”

A large sundae was placed down between them, not exactly the same, but definitely reminiscent of the one Patton had made for them all that time ago. Both of them smiled as Roman immediately scooted over closer and handed his phone to Virgil, needing to get a good picture of this.

—

Patton made it up to their mailbox, using the key he had found to open it up. Inside was a small square of tissue paper, wrapped up in a light blue ribbon. He pulled out the small gift, very carefully unwrapping it to discover what was inside. He let out a small gasp as he found it, holding a beautiful locket in his hands. It was silver and the outside was adorned with delicate filigree, as well as being a bit larger than the average locket. But in Patton’s hand, it looked perfect. 

He gently opened it up, a warm feeling overtaking his entire body as he looked at the pictures inside. On one side was a photo of himself, Logan, and Nutmeg. The picture Patton had insisted they take on the day that Logan had officially moved in. On the other side was a photo of their friends, Charlotte, Reggie, Julia, Roman, and Virgil. With a huge smile on his face, he clasped it around his neck and began to walk up the driveway to head into the house. 

—

Logan was setting the table, just barely having gotten everything he wanted to do accomplished, when he heard the key in the lock of the front door. He quickly looked himself over, making sure he looked presentable. 

The door opened, Nutmeg entering first with Patton right behind her, Logan and Patton immediately catching each other’s gaze. The taller man essentially dropped everything he held in his hands, rushing forward to pull his boyfriend into a huge hug, not even attempting to keep himself from lifting him right off the ground. 

Logan melted into Patton’s embrace, wrapping his arms around his neck and holding him tight, accustomed to his feet leaving the ground entirely. They stayed that way for several moments, just holding each other and enjoying being reunited after essentially a full day of being apart. 

It was a long moment before the loving silence was broken. 

“…Happy Valentine’s Day, Patton.”

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Logan.” 

—

Virgil and Roman left dinner, holding hands and heading toward the pier. There was no carnival this time, so the pier was empty save for the two of them. They made their way to the end, leaning against the railing and looking over the dark water. They had their arms wrapped around each other, leaning against each other for a few minutes of comfortable, loving, quiet. 

It was starting to get cold, Roman looking up to Virgil and asking if he was ready to head out. Virgil just smiled and started to reach into his pocket. 

“Just a second. …And just to say, don’t freak out. I’m not proposing or anything. I just.. Have a gift for you.” Virgil said, obviously trying to keep it light hearted, but it was clear that this was obviously a concern he’d been dealing with for some time now. 

Roman laughed softly, looking back at him. “Got it.” 

Virgil pulled the small box out of his pocket, it was obviously a jewelry box, but it was larger and flatter than a ring box would have been. 

Roman curiously took the box, opening it up to reveal a necklace. It had a delicate rose gold chain, with a small matching pendant in the shape of a crown, a single small ruby near the bottom corner. He smiled as he took it out of the box, looking over the simple but gorgeous piece before he clasped it around his neck.

“…I figured.. My prince should have a crown, right?” Virgil smiled, pulling him in softly.

“…Thank you, love. I love it. It’s beautiful.” Roman leaned up, pulling him down for a kiss before they walked hand in hand back to the car to head home.

—

Patton and Logan shared the lasagna that Logan had made for them, Patton asking if he’d be willing to teach him the recipe and spreading a deep blush across Logan’s cheeks. Their dinner was a soft, loving event, Patton unable to keep his many praises for all of the work that Logan had done for him to himself. He had even made cookies for dessert, having decorated them with cheesy Valentine’s Day puns that he knew his boyfriend would love. And he had been correct. He’d made different shaped cookies with the assorted cookie cutters he found around Patton’s kitchen, then written on them with frosting. A whale that read ‘I whale always love you,’ a bear with ‘I love you beary much.’ Amongst others. Patton just couldn’t contain the giggles they gave him. 

By the time dinner was done and cleaned up, the sun had fully set and it was completely dark outside. Logan was feeling rather proud that he’d managed to execute his entire plan and was about to head upstairs to get changed when Patton stopped him. His tall boyfriend had caught his hand, causing Logan to turn and see that he was holding a picnic basket. 

“Come with me?” Patton asked, gesturing to the back door. 

“Of course.” Logan nodded, turning to follow him. 

Patton led him through the sliding door to the backyard, Logan seeing that he had already set up a blanket out on the grass. He smiled, following him and joining him as he laid back on the blanket so they could look up at the sky. 

They curled close together, laying quietly and enjoying the view of the stars. After a while, Patton revealed that within the basket was a small container of chocolate covered strawberries for the two of them, and his own gift for Logan. 

They sat up, Patton watching as Logan unwrapped the gift. It turned out to be a picture frame that held two photos, Patton having already placed them inside. One was the last picture they’d taken at Logan’s apartment, while the second was the same one inside his locket. Their first picture at the house once Logan had moved in. 

Logan smiled warmly, running his finger over the message engraved on the frame. “ _You are the stars in my sky_.” 

They turned to each other, smiling lovingly and sharing yet another hug. 

“Happy Valentine’s Day.”

—

Virgil and Roman woke up early the next morning, no alarm. Both just waking up and sitting straight up, turning to each other and speaking a few words in unison before they both jumped right out of bed to get dressed and head off to the store. 

“…Valentine’s Day 15th.” 

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Pocky Day](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17039675) by [NekoAbi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NekoAbi/pseuds/NekoAbi)
  * [Cockblocked](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17040077) by [DramaticGarbage](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DramaticGarbage/pseuds/DramaticGarbage), [NekoAbi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NekoAbi/pseuds/NekoAbi)
  * [House Party](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17924330) by [NekoAbi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NekoAbi/pseuds/NekoAbi)
  * [TVFH - Beach Trip](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18676078) by [NekoAbi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NekoAbi/pseuds/NekoAbi)




End file.
